Gods and Wolves
by bmitw
Summary: What if the Cullens made the treaty and then stayed? What if the wolves kept phasing? And what is Bella walking into?
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**A/N: This is not a fluffy romance. It is a supernatural drama. The main players in this story will be Carlisle and Ephraim, and later Bella; however fanfiction only allows two to be listed. There will be a HEA for Bella, but beyond that I will not say.**

**Rating: M. There will be adult themes, battles, character death and swearing.**

**Betas & prereaders for all or part of this story: feebes86, Mist, Mrstrentreznor & SanoraElle**

PROLOGUE

My name is Ephraim Black.

I am the Alpha wolf of the Quileute tribe from La Push, Washington.

I have been the Alpha for seventy years.

I am ninety years old, but I look twenty-five.

This is not how I wanted my life to turn out, and I blame Carlisle Cullen for that.

This is our story.

.


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**CHAPTER 1**

**1936**

**CPOV**

"_Edward - have you decided whether you are going to come hunting with us or not?"_

Edward was moping again. He felt like the odd man out, a state of affairs that had lasted ever since Esme was changed. Changing Rosalie was meant to ease his loneliness, but they were so completely incompatible that I wondered to myself why I had ever thought that they could be mates. Rosalie had found her mate in Emmett, but Edward was still alone, and his constant brooding and guilt over his vigilante days were wearing on the patience of the rest of us. He needed to hunt more, but getting him out of the house was a major enterprise every time it happened.

"Alright, I'll come, but can we please hunt somewhere else for a change? How about going further north this time?"

I considered this for a minute, 65 seconds to be exact, and decided that perhaps we could go up to the forest around La Push. I wanted to check the area out, maybe try to find somewhere for us to settle for a time. The constant moving around that our vampire natures made necessary was disruptive, and it would be nice if we could find somewhere quiet to live, maybe there was a place where we could stay beyond the standard 5 to 7 years.

Rosalie and Emmett waited with me in the yard for Edward to emerge from the house. We set off for La Push, running swiftly but quietly through the dense forest until we reached a spot that looked promising. We could smell deer, and some smaller animals, although nothing of the sorts of predators that Edward preferred, and that were found in the National Parks and wilderness areas. As this was a quick hunt, we would just have to make do with what we found.

Running towards the herd, each of us found a deer to take down, and we were draining our meals when we were assaulted with the most awful smell I had ever come across. Even after spending three days in a pile of rotting potatoes during my change, I had never smelled anything like it. I turned to my left and towards the source of the odor, and was surprised to find three men standing a few feet away. They were Native American, but there was something about them that was unlike any other tribe that I had encountered since coming to the New World.

One of the men seemed to be larger and more assertive than the others. I thought that he might be the leader, so I spoke to him.

"Good day to you, do you speak English?"

The man looked at us with an expression on his face that showed puzzlement and some hostility. I wondered what he might be thinking.

Edward spoke quickly and in an undertone "He is thinking about Cold Ones. He has noticed that we are pale, and cold, but he has also seen that we have golden eyes and this is something that he has never seen before. He has knowledge of vampires, but the ones that he is thinking about have red eyes".

As difficult as Edward could sometimes be, his mindreading gift was a godsend at times like these.

I asked him, very quietly, whether or not they were planning to attack us. But although our conversation took place at vampire speed, the tribesmen seemed to be able to hear us. How was this possible?

"You are Cold Ones. Why are you here, and why do you drink from animals?"

"My name is Carlisle Cullen. These are my family members Edward, Rosalie and Emmett. Yes, we are vampires. We are not like others of our kind though. We only drink from animals and we were in this forest hunting for game. I am sorry if we have trespassed on your territory."

"My name is Ephraim Black. These men are my fellow tribe members Quil Ateara and Levi Uley. We are the Protectors of the Quileute tribe of La Push. It is our duty to protect the tribe from Cold Ones, but as you don't have red eyes, we need to discuss this matter with our Council. Would you please return to this spot tomorrow at the same time?"

It was an unusual request, but one that I had no difficulty in agreeing to. I did not want to resort to violence, although I felt that these men were in some way a threat and I did not want to leave the area either. I hoped that perhaps we could come to some arrangement about hunting and borders that might allow us to live there for some time longer.

**EphPOV**

The following day, my pack mates and I travelled back to the place where we had met Carlisle Cullen and his "family" for our meeting. I had discussed the problem overnight with the Council and the pack and had come up with a possible solution.

On the way there I remembered the conversation from the night before:

I had asked the Council and pack members present to put forward their ideas for what to do. Levi was blunt: "I don't want them here. We should kill them, or drive them away".

Quil was a bit friendlier: "I don't want them to live or hunt here, but they haven't taken a human life as far as we know. We need to find a compromise".

The elders who were present, such as Quil's father, Quil Ateara II, were uncompromising. There was nothing in our tribal records to account for Cold Ones who did not try to take human lives. They did not believe the Cullens could be trusted, and they did not want to break with tradition and negotiate with them.

I suggested a compromise. "What if when we meet with them we suggest that a treaty be drawn up? We can set boundaries to prevent them from coming into La Push, and ensure that their boast of not drinking from humans is a requirement of the treaty".

Levi was not appeased. "They might not drink from humans, but if they bite them, they will turn into Cold Ones and increase the numbers in the coven".

That was true enough, I hadn't thought of that. "Well what if we make the requirement to be that they must not bite a human?"

"That would work".

"Is there anything else that we need to think about?"

Nobody else could come up with any other provisions that needed to go into this treaty. We knew that Cold Ones were beautiful, but unchanging. They would live here for a time, but sooner or later would need to move on, in order to avoid exposing themselves. When that day came, we would be rid of them, but would have a treaty in place in case they ever came back.

**CPOV**

The entire family travelled to the meeting place with Ephraim Black and his fellow tribesmen. I was interested to see what might happen. A feeling of unease had settled over me since the day before, and I could not account for it. These were men, albeit very strange smelling men, and I was a vampire. I was almost 300 years old, I had spent time with the Volturi in Italy, and there was nothing I needed to fear from any creature on this Earth.

So why did I have a sense of foreboding about this meeting? I asked Edward again whether or not he had read anything in their minds that would help me to work out what it was that we were up against. He looked at me and rolled his eyes, confident in his own way that I was worrying about nothing, but not giving me anything to help me feel the same way.

"For the last time Edward, what did you read?"

"Their thoughts about the Cold Ones were the only ones that I was able to pick up. After I spoke to you about that, they starting thinking in another language, probably their native tongue. There were some strange images in their minds, though."

"What was that Edward?"

"There were visions of wolves running through the forest".

That didn't seem to be important, I was sure that as Native Americans they would come into contact with all kinds of animals, so I sighed and continued running to the meeting place.

They were waiting for us when we arrived. I introduced Esme to them; she wrinkled her nose ever so slightly, and raised one eyebrow in my direction.

"These men smell terrible!" she hissed.

"You don't smell so wonderful yourself Mrs Cullen", was the reply from Levi Uley.

I was astonished, not to mention a bit offended, by that remark. Vampires do have a scent, but it is individual to the vampire and Esme's scent had always reminded me of lavender and vanilla bean.

"Never mind how my wife smells, are you going to tell us why we have been summoned back here today? Do you have a proposal or demand for us?"

"One of them wants to kill us, he is thinking that the Alpha is weak to want to deal with us at all", Edward whispered, again at vampire speed. Our adversaries visibly started at that, obviously they could hear us and were not too pleased that we were somehow able to know what they were thinking.

"_Thank you Edward, I will bear that in mind. It is interesting that they refer to Ephraim as their Alpha. I wonder what that means. Please tread carefully and advise the others to do the same. I will take it from here"._

Ephraim spoke then. For a human he had an air of authority and an imposing physical presence. There was something more to it than I had even noticed yesterday, a feeling of menace and purpose, although his demeanor was superficially friendly. And the others automatically deferred to him.

"We have a proposal to put to you. We would like to establish a treaty between our two parties. We want to keep all Cold Ones, including you, away from the Reservation. We also want to prevent you from biting any humans."

I had to give him some credit. He said biting humans not draining them. He must have been aware that not all bites resulted in the death of the human concerned, and that some bitten people became vampires themselves. Just then, I heard a loud snort behind me.

"Tell me again, why we **vampires** are talking to these **men** about what we can and can't do here?"

Typical Emmett, open mouth and insert foot. He was only just beyond his newborn phase, and was a bit of a handful. Then I heard a noise and turned back to face the Quileute.

There was a shimmering around Ephraim Black, a disturbance in the air around him. I stepped backward, trying to put as much space between the two of us as possible, as all of a sudden that sense of foreboding became acute. Within seconds, Ephraim Black had disappeared, and in his place was standing a large wolf, russet in color, with yellow eyes and sharp fangs. It was as big as a horse, and was growling in a deep bass rumble that seemed to resonate through my body and set my nerves on edge.

I turned to my family. Esme was clearly afraid. Edward seemed intrigued, and I knew without asking that he was trying to read the mind of Ephraim in this new form. Emmett was shielding Rosalie, and his expression had changed from derision to determination.

I looked back towards Ephraim. In spite of his changed form there seemed to be something about his eyes that held intelligence and awareness. So I decided to speak to him anyway, as I had been previously. Obviously this new development had something to do with the reason why they all stank so much, and not a little to do with their confidence in dealing with us as equals.

"Are you werewolves?"

Levi Uley looked at me with an expression of naked hostility. "No we are not. We are shape shifters. From the time of our ancestors many centuries ago we have had the ability to transform into wolves".

Having made his point, Ephraim transformed back into his human form. He was completely naked, his clothes having been shredded by his transformation, and one of the others quickly handed him something to cover himself with. Then he spoke, "we can transform at any time day or night, in response to a threat. As Cold Ones, you are the threat we were created to deal with. So know this, you can either deal with us as men now, or as wolves later".

This changed everything. I had thought we were dealing from a position of strength, but one look at those teeth had convinced me that as wolves these Quileute had the ability to take us out, and I had no intention of allowing that to happen.

"If we agree to not enter the Reservation, or bite a human, do you guarantee that we will not be harmed during the period of our residence here?"

"Yes, we do. And we expect that, should red-eyed Cold Ones enter the area that you will work with us to remove the threat by whatever means necessary. Either by convincing them to move on, or by killing them, because if you don't we will".

"That is acceptable to me". Really, the last thing we needed was to encounter any other vampires. The less Aro knew about my expanding family, the better.

"Then we have a treaty. The provisions of this treaty will be recorded by the Tribal Council so that it may be passed down to future generations. We will provide you with a copy once we have both signed it. Breaking the treaty will result in a war. Am I clear?"

"Yes, very clear". We shook hands and then a line was drawn up, beyond which towards the Reservation, we could not go. In return, we were allowed to find a place to settle beyond the treaty line and to go about our business.

In the next few weeks we moved northwards from our previous home and found a place to live just outside of Forks. It was a large white house set on a property of several hundred acres, and although it wasn't exactly what we needed I knew that Esme would soon have everything fixed up just how she wanted it.

I tried to stay as much out of her way as possible, which was made easier when the hospital offered me a post there as a surgeon. Edward, Rosalie and Emmett, being teenagers or near to it when they were turned, could pose as high school students. But as Emmett was still not much better than a newborn, we decided to keep him at the house for a bit longer with Rosalie as he would not be parted from her, and send Edward to Forks High School.

He would start there tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and SanoraElle, for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**A/N: This chapter skips forward 70 years to put a frame around the story. But after that the story will go back to where Chapter 1 left off and proceed from there. And thanks to everybody who has read this story, and reviewed and/or alerted it. I seriously had no idea my plot kangaroo would appeal to anybody else whatsoever!**

CHAPTER 2

2005

BPOV

I buckled my seatbelt and looked out of the plane's window. Below me I could see the Seattle/Tacoma area and the airport between the two cities. There was a layer of low cloud in the air, and the sky was overcast, but the change of climate from Phoenix was one thing I would need to try and get used to. I had decided to return to Forks, and my father, so that I might get away from Renee's ditziness, and the feeling that I always had of being in the way.

Renee was a loving mother, but practicality was not her strong suit. She waltzed through the world, trailing clouds of new ageism and obsessions that lasted days and sometimes weeks. I had been her anchor, until she met Phil and transferred her restlessness and wide eyed enthusiasm to travelling the country with him while he plied his trade as a baseball player.

The plane had been losing altitude during my musings, and finally touched down on the tarmac. Some twenty minutes later, struggling through the terminal with a lifetime's luggage, I spotted my father waiting for me in the arrivals lounge. First order of business, I thought, need to lose the moustache. Having a father who looked like a 70s porn star was so not cool.

"Bella!" Charlie called out to me, and then scooped me up and hugged me, swinging me around. I hadn't thought about it before, but as Charlie had never repartnered or had more children, maybe I really was important to him? I hadn't been to Forks since I was a toddler. For some reason, Charlie had always been reluctant to bring me here. He had said that it was because he could not look after me properly and that he would rather take time off and visit, but I had long suspected that there was more to it than that. That maybe he didn't want me to come here at all?

We made our way out to the parking lot, and I groaned as I spotted the Police Cruiser. Granted, it was Charlie's car, but travelling in it with him was humiliating to say the least. At least he had saved me from a second flight to Port Angeles, and we would have a few hours to catch up on the way back to Forks.

Or not, as the case may be. Four hours of dreary 80's cock rock on the radio, staring out the window of the cruiser in silence. Years of distance that weren't going to be erased in the first five minutes of reconnecting. I could tell that Charlie was nervous, but I couldn't understand what he had to be nervous about. We travelled in silence for the most part, except for when Charlie asked me what I would like for dinner. A shared pepperoni pizza later, we retreated to the living room to start the next phase of my life.

I was not due to start at Forks High School until Monday, and it was Friday night, so Charlie asked me if I'd like to go to the Rez with him the next day.

"The Rez?" I asked, not certain what he meant.

"The Reservation, Bella" Charlie replied, shaking his head. "I usually go to La Push on the weekends so that I can go fishing with my friends, but tomorrow it might be better if I took you around and introduced you to everyone. I'll still be able to go fishing on Sunday, and you can stay here and get ready for school."

To be honest, I wasn't that interested in meeting some of his beer-drinking, plaid-wearing buddies, but if he wanted to show me around, I guess I could be nice.

"Well OK then, I guess I could go with you. Are we going to be there all day?"

"I'm usually there on a Sunday, not a Saturday, and I don't know what Billy might have planned for the day. Why don't we go there after breakfast and then see what happens?"

"Sounds like a plan."

The next morning, Charlie tapped on my door at about 8 o'clock, and I got myself out of bed and downstairs in about twenty minutes. He wanted to be on the road, so I had some Cheerios, toast and coffee, grabbed a jacket, and headed out the door.

I hadn't been to La Push before, as far as I could remember, so on the way out I looked around me to see if anything felt familiar. But it had been so long since Renee had taken me away from here it didn't make sense that it would.

We pulled up outside this small wooden house, which looked fairly typical of the others I had seen on the way into La Push. We got out of the cruiser, but before we could walk to the front door, a Native American man came out to greet us. He looked much younger than Charlie, but before I could speculate about who it might be, Charlie introduced us.

"Billy, this is Bella. Bella, this is Billy Black."

Billy Black? Really? He didn't look more than about 30 years old, if that. Charlie was over 40, and Billy was his childhood friend, so why did Billy look so young?

"Um, er, hello, Billy. Sorry for being so tongue-tied, but I was expecting someone older."

"Oh, but Bella, I'm older than Charlie."

"But you look so young."

He looked at me and winked. "Then it must be something in the water Bella. But thanks for the compliment."

A teenage boy then emerged from the house. "Bells, this is Jacob Black, Billy's son."

Jacob was tall, and looked big for his age. He looked me up and down and then said, "Call me Jake, everyone else does."

I hadn't been popular with boys in Phoenix, but I knew that look. I hoped that he wasn't attracted to me, because although he seemed friendly enough, he was too young for me.

I could see some other people approaching from the other houses, walking along the beach in groups of two or three. Some were teenagers like Jake, some women and girls, but most were men. They were all attractive, youthful and well-built. And some looked remarkably similar to each other. What was this place? A Vogue shoot? Whatever these people had, I wanted some of it.

I was soon awash in a sea of names, most of which I would have difficulty remembering. I mean, it was good of these people to come and say hello, and I realised that it was out of deference to Charlie that they came, since he had not had me with him for years, but it was overwhelming. It was curious, too. Even allowing for large families, there were a lot of people here. And why did the men all look younger than the women? It didn't make sense.

Charlie and Billy introduced me first to the kids that were my own age or close to it. I met Sam Uley, Paul Lahote, Quil Ateara, Embry Call, Jared Cameron, and the Clearwaters, Leah and Seth. Billy apologised, but his daughters Rebecca and Rachel had left the Rez.

I spent some time getting to know the Rez kids, the younger ones were OK but some of the boys were real assholes. Mouthy, aggressive and prone to losing their tempers. Paul was teasing me about being a paleface; granted I was paler than most, but there wasn't much I could do about that. So I teased him back about running around without a shirt on, and he just laughed and asked me if I liked what I saw. Did I mention he was an asshole?

There were other members of all of these families around, but it was too confusing to work out who was related to who and how, because the family members all looked so similar to each other. Really, it wasn't as if I would be having anything much to do with them anyway, and going to Forks High School would limit the amount of time I could spend here.

Eventually, most of the people left and only Charlie's friends and the younger Quileutes remained. We were about to go inside and have lunch; Harry Clearwater's fish fry, when three more men emerged from the forest and ran towards us. They looked like the mirror images of Quil, Sam and Billy. I shook my head, trying to see if they would look any different once my brain had started working, but no. Just more fit, handsome La Push residents, looking like the twin brothers of other fit, handsome La Push residents.

They were introduced to me one by one. Levi Uley, Quil Ateara (another Quil Ateara? How was that even possible?) and finally Ephraim Black. Ephraim was distracted by a noise he seemed to hear in the forest, but then he turned around to greet me.

And stopped dead in his tracks. He stood frozen in place, and gazed into my eyes with a look of wonder. It was not like the look Jake had given me earlier, it was reverent and all-consuming. Eventually he snapped out of his reverie and spoke to me.

"Bella? Is that your name? Is it short for something else?"

For such an impressive man he seemed a little bit off-balance. "No. Bella it is. My full name is Isabella, but I prefer to be called Bella."

"Isabella. But that's a beautiful name."

"It's too formal. Please call me Bella."

"Let's all go inside shall we?" Billy spoke, he seemed rattled.

I looked around me, Charlie was nonplussed, Jake angry, the others all wearing expressions of surprise, shock or amusement. I had no idea what had just happened, other than that it appeared to be significant in some way, but I was hungry, so I followed Billy inside.

During lunch, and afterwards, I occasionally felt a strange sensation. When I turned around, I would find Ephraim gazing at me again. It was disconcerting, but not off-putting, and although I didn't understand why; it felt comforting, I was drawn to this man. There was an almost physical pull to him. I knew he was older than me, at least 25 or so, and it was strange that he would even look at me. I had never had any attention paid to me in Phoenix, by anybody.

As the afternoon wore on, the conversations around me began to interest me less and less. I found myself looking over to where Ephraim was. Most of the time he was looking away, but every so often our eyes would meet, and the look in his was searching, and intense. Eventually he came over to me.

"Are you okay?" he asked. He looked oddly concerned for me.

"Yes, thanks. I'm fine, but I have to ask you, is there something wrong? Why do you look at me the way you do?"

"I just want to make sure you are okay." He smiled. "This must be overwhelming for you, so many new people?"

"Yes it is, but it's nice that Charlie has so many friends that he can count on. He's been alone for years, I will be OK once I get used to everything," I paused, "And everyone."

He laughed, and then stood up. "Can I get you anything?" he asked me.

"I'd like a soda, thanks."

He went to the fridge and came back with two sodas, opened them, and handed one to started to ask me a few things about myself and after a while we were chatting away, the awkwardness that had been there at first gradually dissipating. I was starting to enjoy myself, but then Charlie came over to me.

"Time to go home, kiddo."

"OK Dad, I'll just get my things."

I almost called him Charlie, but something told me that Ephraim wouldn't like that. I went to stand up, and tripped over my feet, which had gone to sleep under me. Ephraim was up in a flash, how did he move that quickly? He caught me, and I found myself in the arms of a warm, delicious smelling bear of a man. Frankly, I didn't want to move from there, but Charlie was looking at me with one eyebrow raised.

I stepped backwards, and turned to walk away. "Th-thanks Ephraim, it was nice to m-meet you", I somehow stammered out.

Charlie said his goodbyes and then we headed out the door. As we walked towards the cruiser I heard Ephraim say to the others, "Council meeting. Tonight. Usual place and time. Everyone MUST be there." I hoped that Charlie might not want to talk to me about whatever that was, and he seemed embarrassed enough that I might get my wish. Thank God Renee wasn't here; she would have given me the third degree.

After such a strange day, once Charlie and I had arrived home, I ate my dinner, made my excuses and went to bed early. He would be going fishing early the next morning with Billy and Harry, so I could have the place to myself, and get ready for school on Monday.

I fell asleep quickly, the day had been exhausting, and soon I was dreaming. It was the strangest dream that I had ever had. I was in the forest, and there was a path through the undergrowth that I was following. I didn't know where it was leading me, but I knew somehow that I needed to take it, and that there was something or someone I needed to see at the other end. As I made my way on the path, a figure came into view. It was Ephraim, dressed in tribal clothing with a wolf headdress and paint on his face. He beckoned to me; I moved towards him...and woke up.

I blinked, and shook my head. The dream was unsettling, but exciting, and I didn't know what to make of it. In the shower, I mused about it, and the need that it had left me with to know more about Ephraim, maybe even become closer to him.

My thoughts were too scattered to do much with the day, so when I went downstairs I settled down with a book. A short while later, there was a knock at the door. I went to open it, curious, because I wasn't expecting anyone, and opened it to find Ephraim waiting outside.

"You left this behind." He had my sweater in his hands.

"Thanks for bringing this back, Ephraim. I hope you didn't have to go out of your way, would you like to come in for a minute? I'm just having coffee."

"Sure, sure. I'd love to."

I held the door open and followed him inside. Charlie wasn't short, but Ephraim was massive. He filled the room physically, but he also had a presence that made him seem even larger still. I remembered my dream, and the sensations it produced, and he turned to look at me, wrinkling his nose ever so slightly.

This was beyond awkward. "How do you have your coffee?" I asked him.

"Just black and no sugar will be fine thanks."

I handed him his coffee and he settled into Charlie's chair.

"So, it's a bit easier to talk here than it was yesterday out at La Push. I hope I didn't embarrass you, is there anything you'd like to know?"

"Yeah there is. What the hell happened?"

"I'm sorry Bella, there are things I can and can't explain to you now. Tell me, when we met and since then, have you felt any kind of attraction to me? Maybe something that felt like a pull towards me?"

"Yes there was, I found it strange at first and still do, what would a man like you want with a girl like me?"

"You're gorgeous Bella, hasn't anyone ever told you that?"

I almost choked on my coffee. No, nobody ever had. I didn't speak, but I think Ephraim had his answer anyway. He put his cup down, walked over to me and cupped my chin.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen and ever will see. Anyone who can't see that isn't looking hard enough." With that, he placed a light kiss on my forehead and turned towards the door. "I'll let myself out, hope to see you soon, take care Bella."

I sunk back down onto the chair. Suddenly my legs didn't seem strong enough to hold me up. There was no doubt Ephraim affected me...

Charlie came home a few hours later, with a container full of fish ready to be cooked or frozen. There'd be enough there to feed us for weeks. I was anxious to go up to my room, not so much because I was tired, but because I needed to be by myself to think about everything that happened, without running the gauntlet of Charlie's gimlet-eyed gaze. So I made my excuses and left.

But not before Charlie found time to say one thing to me. Tomorrow, my first day at the new school, would be difficult. You could fit the entire Forks school population into my year back in Phoenix, and there was no way I was not going to stand out. But what Charlie had to say when he spoke to me after dinner, was weird to say the least.

It seemed as though Forks was some kind of hotbed for strange emo types who took drugs, dressed like rejects from an English public school and had a strange eye color. Who knew? Charlie advised me to take it in my stride, as the strange kids were sensitive about their differences, and just get on with the business of passing my last two years and getting ready to go to college. Sounded like a plan to me. When you're the palest person in Phoenix, you know what it's like to stand out.

But Charlie was really uncomfortable talking about the whole thing and I wondered about that. He was the Chief of Police; surely he knew what went on in his own town, right? I tried to work out just what it was he was trying to say to me, looking for some clue as to what he really meant.

"Bella", he said, "there's something I need to tell you about the school before you go there tomorrow".

"It's a new school, I get that Charlie, so what's the problem? It's not like I've never had to start at a new school before. You know what Renee's like, moving house every five minutes."

"This is different. You've never been to a school like this. There are things about the High School, and Forks, that you don't know about…"

"Sure Dad. Like what? Handsy seniors? Bad chicken in the cafeteria? Does the English teacher mark harder on Wednesdays?" I mean really, there wasn't much I hadn't seen.

"No, Bella, if there are any of those things at Forks High, then it's not my place to warn you about them. But when you get there, you'll notice that some of the students look different to everybody else. Their eyes are light in color, and their skin is very pale. When you see these students, please try to be normal around them, don't make fun and don't antagonize them."

"Why not? They sound like freaks. How does everyone else treat them?"

"Respectfully - they don't respond well to being taunted Bella. I'm just warning you about them, what you do about what I've said is up to you. But be careful for my sake".

Something was off about that whole conversation; Charlie sounded as though he was trying to get me to read between the lines or something.

I shook my head. Over thinking would only keep me awake all night. So I rolled over in bed and settled down to sleep. And had the same dream as last night, only this time I got closer to Ephraim before I woke.

The next morning, when the alarm went off, I shut it off quickly and rubbed my eyes. As I lay in my bed, eyes encrusted with sand, head swimming, I thought about ways to get out of going to school today. Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Are you awake, Bella?"

"Yes, Dad, I'll be down in a minute".

I dragged myself out of bed, grabbed some clothes, and headed towards the shower. Ten minutes later, I made my way downstairs to the kitchen. The smell of cooking bacon wafted its way to my nostrils and any thought I might have had of heading straight to the door with a Pop Tart went out of my head. I'd never thought about whether Charlie could cook or not, he seemed to have the pizza place on his speed dial, but I guess when you live alone you have to cook some things or starve.

"How do you like your eggs Bells?"

"Over easy is fine Charlie, but you shouldn't have gone to all this trouble."

"Think of it as a one off starting school present Bells. I don't eat like this every day, and I certainly don't cook like this every day either."

He flipped the eggs and a minute or so later presented me with a plate crammed full with bacon, eggs and buttered toast. As we ate, I thought again about the talk we had the night before. Sleeping on it hadn't brought forth any light bulb moments or insights, my dreams were of other things, so rather than bring it up again I decided to just get on with the business of eating and getting off to school.

"This is good, Dad."

"Thanks, Bells."

"You ready to go?"

"Yep, just need to wash up."

"Don't worry about that, just rinse the dishes and leave them in the sink. We can deal with them later."

"OK then."

I took the dishes over to the sink and rinsed them. When I turned around to leave, Charlie was already halfway to the front door, so I picked up my backpack and followed him.

"Sorry about the cruiser trip, kiddo, I know it's embarrassing but I'm trying to work on a solution to that."

"It's OK Charlie, it's not like there's anything I could do to make my arrival pass unnoticed".

Charlie laughed. "Got that right Bells, everyone knows you're starting today".

We went out the front door, and it slammed shut behind us. I headed for the cruiser and walked around to the right hand side, waited for Charlie to unlock it, and then got in.

The drive to the High School was a short one, and in no time at all I was getting out of the cruiser and heading to the School office. Charlie leaned out of the cruiser, waved and then drove off.

I looked around. Some students were just going about their business and seemed not to have noticed me, which was fine with me. Maybe this day was going to be just another day? I could handle that.

Suddenly I heard a noise behind me. I turned around to find some students walking towards me, staring intently at me with a look that made shivers run up my spine. I met their gaze, and found myself looking into several of the most eerie sets of eyes that I had ever seen. They were a pale gold, and seemed to almost glow in their intensity.

But before I could say or do anything, a big warm arm wrapped itself around me, and the owner of it spoke.

"Bella! So good to see you here, I think I'm in some of your classes. Why don't we walk there together?" Paul Lahote. I had to say, although he seemed a bit of an ass when I met him yesterday, I was relieved to see him today. Those eyes...they frightened me.


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and SanoraElle, for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**A/N: Back to the 1930s. This story from here on will be chronological, and event based. So I won't be going year by year or anything, a la Harry Potter, but rather writing chapters for each plot development. And now that you know where we're headed, hope you enjoy the ride.**

1936

EPOV

I was heading off for my first day at Forks High School today. Since Carlisle had changed me, we had moved around quite a bit, and then there was my rebellious phase, where I left him and Esme. I had been a vampire now for as long as I had been human, so it should be possible for me to mix with the students at the school and not want to drain them.

To me, the bigger risk was that some of the students might notice that I was not like them. Carlisle had been "born" into this world in an earlier and more superstitious time. It was likely that at least some of the people that he came into contact with in his early vampire life either knew what he was, as he had known what his sire was the moment he saw him, or felt on an instinctive level that he was different and steered clear of him. And his time with the Volturi might have given him contacts with vampire royalty, but they sequestered themselves beneath Volterra and didn't interact with humans other than as predator and prey.

I had spoken to Carlisle about it, but as usual he brushed it off. For him, his hospital work, dealing with those who were ill or dying gave him an insight into human nature. I don't suppose it ever occurred to him to think that somebody who is afraid of dying doesn't care who treats them.

I grabbed my bag, and headed out to the garage, and my car. I loved my Volvo P36, it was sleek and fast. If you were going to be an immortal, might as well do it in style. I backed out of the garage, and turned, then peeled off down the highway towards Forks, driving as fast as I dared. In next to no time it seemed, I pulled up outside the school.

After parking the car, I headed inside to the school office to make myself known, and get my schedule and maps. Walking past some students, I caught glimpses in my mind of their thoughts.

"_Who is he? I've never seen HIM before...he's handsome, but there's something strange about him..."_

"_He's as pale as a ghost..."_

"_Just what I need, competition for the best girls. Bet he's an athlete too..." _

I turned to look at them, and there must have been something in my expression that intimidated them, because they scuttled away, leaving me to my devices.

I arrived at the front desk shortly after, and did my level best to charm the ladies into smoothing my path with the classes I would have to take. Not hard when you're a vampire, admittedly. I wished they wouldn't look at me like that though, they were even older than I really was and their thoughts were most unladylike. Paperwork in hand, I headed to my first class, English.

The teacher and the other students were already at their desks when I entered the room. Even without my vampire hearing, the buzz was audible. I handed my slip to the teacher, Mr Collins, and looked around for a spare seat. There was one near a tiny blonde girl, so I walked towards her, lifted an eyebrow in query, and when she nodded, sat down.

So far so good, there was nobody here whose scent called to me. I could feel a burn in my throat, but I had hunted last night and drunk so much it was sloshing around inside of me, so I was confident that I could see out the day. I introduced myself.

"Hello, I'm Edward Cullen."

"Hello Edward, I'm Eleanor Henry."

I was going to talk to her some more, but I looked up and the teacher was beginning to speak. We were going to be studying Shakespeare, and I hoped that it would not be Romeo and Juliet. What a waste of time that story was.

"This term we are going to be studying Hamlet. You will need to have the play read, as soon as possible, so that we may begin to discuss the major themes, and the strengths and flaws of the major characters. Perhaps somebody would like to read a quote from the play to the class. Miss Henry?"

Eleanor opened her copy of the play, and quickly found a passage that she wanted to read. She must have prepared for this class and read the play already.

"Alright I will read this scene from Act 1."

"Hamlet: Swear by my sword, never to speak of this that you have heard."

"Ghost (beneath): Swear by his sword."

"Hamlet: Well said, old mole, canst work i'th'earth so fast? A worthy pioner! Once more remove, good friends."

"Horatio: O day and night, but this is wondrous strange."

"Hamlet: And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Eleanor turned to me. "I love that passage, I truly believe there is more in this world than we know of. Don't you?"

I really didn't know what to say to that, maybe I could stall until the teacher spoke. But reading her mind, I could tell that the more things in heaven and earth that she was contemplating included my golden eyes and pale skin. Perhaps we were not going to have as easy a time of it here as Carlisle had hoped.

Of course with some, the instinctive reaction of prey to a predator will persuade people to keep their distance from us, but in a classroom there's no escape from that. It only takes one or two to start to see the differences with us, and we would be in trouble.

I decided to talk to Carlisle about it that night. And read the teacher's mind so that I could collect myself before he asked me a question.

"And what would your interpretation be of that passage Mr...er, Cullen?"

"Hamlet means that the humanist philosophy he and Horatio embrace is not enough to account for his father's appearance to him as a ghost. That supernatural beings exist."

"And what do you think, Mr Cullen?"

"It's possible that supernatural beings exist, but it would be difficult for the human race to interact with them, so who would really know?"

"_On the other hand, you could be sitting in an English class in Forks next to a vampire..." _I snorted, but nobody heard me.

"Thank you Mr Cullen." The class continued on in similar vein for a while longer, and then thankfully, the bell rang. I was never so happy to leave a room in my life.

I decided not to go to the cafeteria today, that could start tomorrow when I was feeling less rattled. I went from one class to the next, and waited impatiently for the school day to end so that I could go home.

Later that evening, when Carlisle had arrived home from the Hospital, I took him aside and spoke to him.

"How did your first day go Edward?"

"Not as well as I would have liked, the thirst was manageable, but some of the students there noticed that I was a bit different to them. And then one of them recited the 'heaven and earth' passage from Hamlet. I'm nervous Carlisle. I doubt that we can be here for 5 years or whatever it is that you want without exposing ourselves."

"OK then, I'll take that on board and think about it a little. There's probably a solution to the problem that we haven't thought of, but of course we can't tell anyone that we're vampires. If the Volturi were to ever come through here and touch anyone, our lives and theirs would be forfeit."

"I'll think about it, too. Whatever we come up with, it will need to be both plausible and completely different to what we actually are..."

"I agree. I'll discuss it with Esme, and see what I can come up with. I have to admit some of the patients and staff at the Hospital since I started there have given me more than one look as well."

I laughed. "Are you sure that's not because you're so good looking? You know women fall at your feet."

"I'm sure. There were some looks like that, but there were also some questioning looks, as if I was too good to be true."

"You are."

Carlisle quirked an eyebrow at me, as if to say, what, that again? It had to be a trial for him, he had conquered his thirst long ago, but the proximity to blood and female pheromones on a daily basis would test the patience of a saint. And he was as saintly as a vampire could possibly be.

I smiled and left to go to my room. Even with my vampire memory I still needed to read my texts in order to remember their contents, albeit for all time. And there were homework assignments to complete.

CPOV

I had feared that my dream of living in the one place might not be able to be realised, but I wasn't ready to give up on it just yet.

A patient at the Hospital had given me an idea, and Edward had unwittingly put flesh on it. I remembered the day when I changed him into a vampire and his mother, Elizabeth, who even as she lay dying, had somehow known that there was something _different _about me and that I could help her son, if help was the right word.

There were more things in heaven and earth; vampires and shapeshifting wolves for starters, and humans themselves in various parts of the world also believed in ghosts, zombies, demons and any number of other phenomenon. In Aro's lifetime he had seen humans who literally believed that the Gods walked among them and interfered with their lives on a daily basis.

The immortality that we had been gifted with, and the powers that we possessed, made us Godlike beings in the eyes of the humans here, or would, if they were ever allowed to bear witness to them. It was a fine line, and it would not do to frighten everyone by openly declaring ourselves to be **other**, but questions would arise and hints could be dropped. Nothing that would bring down the wrath of the Volturi, but enough to give them some comfort in our presence in their community, and perhaps even a source of pride in what we could do for them.

It was better than running away every five years, leaving a paper trail that had to be expunged, new identities that needed to be created, and new encounters to be managed with humans. Soon we would be like a tribal witch doctor, part of the furniture, and valued for the contribution we could make. We would just need to ensure that the secret was not compromised, and that knowledge of our presence did not extend beyond Forks. Easy to do, when Edward is around to read minds, and any one of us could dazzle a human into forgetting their own name.

I wanted this new start. I wanted it so badly I could taste it. And nobody was going to take it away from me. I would think some more on it and then we could have a family meeting to work out what to do.


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor, for betaing this chapter.

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed or favorited this story or placed it on alert. I'm really happy that there are people out there who like it. **

1936

CPOV

I had been giving some thought to the discussion that Edward and I had as a result of his first day at school. But before I could take my thoughts to a family meeting, I had a shift at the hospital to deal with. And what a shift it turned out to be.

The Emergency Room was quiet today, not that a hospital like the one in Forks was ever that busy, but on a weekday you didn't get the injuries that a weekend sometimes brought with it. My patient was a woman in her 30s, and if my vampire senses were right, she was suffering from a sprained ankle. I couldn't detect any signs of a break though, the bones sounded as though they were intact.

She was waiting for me in a curtained off area of the ER, sitting on a bed with her leg stretched out in front of her. And I was quite sure that her elevated heart rate had nothing to do with her injury. Oh to be able to go about my business unnoticed. I looked at her chart and began to speak, "Mrs Norton is it? I'm Dr Cullen."

"Hello Dr Cullen."

"You seem to have done some damage to yourself. Do you mind if I take a look at your ankle?"

"No, not at all doctor."

I picked up her leg, and holding it carefully began to apply light pressure to her ankle area, and to attempt to turn it this way and that. Her grimace as I did so was proof enough that she was in some pain, and I was about to put her leg back down on the bed again when she cried out and grabbed my arm.

"Doctor Cullen! Your hands are so cold - where have you had your hands? And why are they so hard to the touch?"

"I'm sorry, I forgot to warm my hands up before I came here. You know the saying, cold hands, warm heart."

"Well that's as maybe but I've never come across anyone with hands THAT cold before, or skin that hard."

She looked up at me then and her eyes narrowed. "And your eyes are the strangest color I've ever seen, too."

This consultation was rapidly becoming very awkward. Time to get things back on track. "You seem to have a sprained ankle Mrs Norton, I'll strap it for you and then you need to go home and rest. Try to stay off your feet and if the pain is too severe take these tablets I'm going to prescribe for you."

"Thank you, Doctor."

Mrs Norton then tried to get off the bed, and stand up. She overbalanced, and I moved quickly, too quickly, to get around the bed and to her side before she fell. She looked hard at me again.

"I wasn't born yesterday Doctor. I can tell that there is something different about you. Why don't you tell me what that is?"

Stalling for time, I asked her, "Who or what do **you** think I am?"

"I really don't know, Doctor. I try to keep an open mind, but I don't pretend to know everything that goes on in the world."

Maybe there was an opening here for me. Had Mrs Norton been an extremely religious person I would not be able to contemplate doing this. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, so I decided to plant a seed, and see what came of it. "Do you believe in ghosts?"

"Doesn't everyone? Washington is full of haunted houses. There are more haunted houses around the state than in almost any other, especially around Seattle, although people say that Manresa Hall in Port Townsend is haunted."

"Then if ghosts are possible why not other beings? Ghosts are people condemned to walk the Earth when they die, so maybe life is lived in different ways by different people. It's true, I'm not like you; but I have dedicated my life, be it long or short, to helping others. And I intend to stay here in Forks doing that for as long as I can."

She looked at me again, even more closely this time, and nodded. "I know that you are a kind and compassionate man, even though I don't know exactly what _type _of man you are. And let's face it, you're alive, so you're not a zombie, and you're here now, during the day, so you're not a vampire. I frankly don't care what you are, you're the best doctor I've ever been treated by."

I gave her my best smile, and looked into her eyes. "Indeed. Thanks for the compliment, it's nice to know that my hard work is appreciated. Now go home and rest, and if you're not much better in a couple of days, please come back and I will look at your ankle again."

"Thank you Doctor. I'll see myself out."

"No, it would be better if you were helped to leave the hospital. Is there somebody waiting for you in the waiting room?"

"Yes, my husband and children are waiting for me there. If you could help me out that far I should be ok after that."

"I'd be happy to. There's no point in you going and injuring yourself again." I had heard of a new invention of recent years called a wheelchair. Some big hospitals had them already, but Forks was not one of them. So I helped Mrs Norton out to her family and then returned to my office.

I slumped in my chair. Even though I wanted my family to stay here, and I knew that there might be issues with that, it was still confronting to have to deal with the problems our vampire nature was going to cause for us. I didn't like dazzling Mrs Norton, hopefully it was just enough to cause her to forget the details of our conversation, lest she repeated them to others. She would always instinctively know that I, and the rest of our family, were **other**, and there was nothing we could do about that, other than become nomads, but she wouldn't find our presence threatening, and she wouldn't be afraid of us. Hopefully anything she might say would be positive.

We would face this problem wherever we went, so it was easier to just put down roots and hope that we would find acceptance here, rather than to leave again so soon.

I finished my shift, packed up my medical bag, and headed for home. When I arrived there, I kissed Esme and sat down on the sofa with her. Edward looked up from the piano, where he had been practising, having read my mind no doubt.

He frowned at me. "Was that wise Carlisle? I'm not sure what our discussion yesterday meant to you, but I didn't think you would skate so close to the edge there. You might not have admitted that we are vampires, but you didn't do much for the human case either."

I wanted Esme and the others to be privy to my thoughts on this, so I spoke up. "Really Edward, it is only the tendency of humans to ignore what is right under their noses that has got us this far without incident. It is nonsensical to think that no human is ever going to notice our differences, just as it is silly for me to think that I will never meet a patient whose blood makes me thirst. We plan, we prepare, and then we live this life in the best way that we can."

"Well if this girl in class says any more, what should I do?"

"What I did. Distract her, and if that doesn't work, divert her with talk of ghosts or whatever else pops into your head. And if you need to, dazzle her. Not heavily, just enough to make her unsure as to the details of your conversation. Since we **are** vampires, we might as well use it now and then."

"Ephraim and the wolf pack won't like it if they get to hear about it."

"Forks isn't their territory. If they do get to hear about it, there won't be much that they can do. They don't want us to expose them, and the treaty requires them to protect our secret. As long as we are clear that we will protect their secret, they will leave us alone."

"OK then, I can't say that I'm happy about it but since you're so determined to stay here I'll do as you say."

That had to be a first. Edward agreeing to follow my lead. Normally he was busy using his gift to demand special treatment, and I was ashamed to admit that he got it more often than he should. But if I was going to realise my dream to stay here, he would just have to fall into line with everyone else.

Just then Emmett & Rosalie returned from their hunt. At least that's what they called it. If the state they were in was any indication, they had either been wrestling with their food, or each other. I ran my hands through my hair. If anyone was going to expose us, it would be those two. There weren't enough major storms happening in this part of the world to account for all of the uprooted trees and craters in the ground that their _activities _gave rise to.

"Glad you could make it, Emmett, Rosalie."

Emmett's face creased up into those dimples that had been Rose's cue to want to save him back in Tennessee. "Aw, we're sorry Dad, we were busy and forgot the time."

"It would be more surprising Emmett if you had been here, when you said you would be."

"So did we miss anything?" Trust Rosalie to get to the point.

Edward coughed, trying hard to suppress a laughing jag. His superior attitude to Rose and Emmett was irritating, I could only hope that as Emmett settled down they would get along a bit better. And he could never resist an opportunity to have a dig at them. "No Em, nothing at all, only the future of our family here in Forks. Nothing that need concern you."

"Are we staying?"

"Yes we are," I said, trying to bring the bickering to an end. "I see no reason for us to leave just yet, we only just moved here. But please, you two, try to be discreet in your, er, _hunting_. Horse-sized wolves are enough of an issue in the forests, we don't need meteorite craters as well. The Tunguska event didn't happen anywhere near here."

"Sorry, Dad. Won't happen again."

If the heated look being exchanged between Em and Rose was any indication, that promise would last about as long as the bears they hunted. But it did give me an idea, and I was sorely in need of a distraction. I looked at Esme, and she at me. "See you later, children."

EphPOV

I had been hearing whispers from friends in Forks about the Cullens. About how there was something not quite right about them, but that they seemed to be nice people nevertheless. I rolled my eyes.

If the people of Forks knew precisely what kind of beings they had in their midst they would run a mile in the opposite direction. And I wasn't just including the Cullens in that, although I would be watching them closely for as long as they stayed here. That was the promise I had made to myself and the Quileute when the treaty was signed.

No, if the good citizens of Forks knew about the horse-sized wolves of La Push they would recoil in horror. We were a folk legend of sorts, because hikers did go missing, and wolves were sometimes seen in the forest, and since there were always those who might try to draw a connection between the two, we kept a low profile. At least vampires **looked** like human beings.

Ironic, because we were dedicated to preserving human life and most vampires were dedicated to ending it. But I needed to make sure that our secret was safe; there was no need for any hokwat to know about us.

I decided to go for a walk along the beach. There was such much to think about and to decide upon, so much for an Alpha wolf to do. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn't see the other person on the beach until it was too late. I bumped into her, and quickly collected myself and looked up.

A very pretty girl was standing before me. She looked about 18 or 19, and although there was something vaguely familiar about her, I didn't know her name. We looked at each other for a second, and then she looked away. I hadn't imprinted on her, not that I expected to; legend had it that Alphas didn't imprint, since their primary focus had to be the pack and the tribe.

"I'm sorry for bumping into you like that. I'm Ephraim Black."

She seemed to be very shy, when I spoke to her she looked down at the ground, and I wanted to see her face again. "I hope you're not afraid of me, I'd like to get to know you a little bit better. Do you mind if I ask you your name?"

She looked up at me then, her brown eyes meeting mine. "Um, er, my name's Martha Young."

The name sounded familiar, but there weren't any Youngs on the Quileute Reservation as far as I knew. "Young. I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you Quileute or Makah?"

My question seemed to bring her out of her shell a bit. "Makah. I've come to La Push to visit some relatives."

That explained where I had seen her before. She must have been here before when she was much younger visiting her family; perhaps several times over the years. "I thought I'd seen you before. I suppose this isn't the first time you've been to La Push. Tell me, do you like coming here?"

"The beaches and cliffs here are beautiful. I find it peaceful here, and it's nice to catch up with my family when I can."

"Will you be at the bonfire tomorrow night?"

Since I had become Alpha of the pack, I had been busy with my responsibilities to them and to the tribe. It was some time since I had been able to go to a bonfire and just relax and enjoy it. The legends that the Elders told were fascinating, the more so because Quil, Levi and I were living proof of their potency, but now I had another reason to be there. I hoped that Martha would say yes.

"Yes, with my cousins."

"Then I hope to see you there. Would it be OK with you if I sat with you at the bonfire?

She thought about it for a minute. "I'd enjoy that. See you tomorrow then."

Martha Young. The name was so ordinary, but the girl wasn't. I was looking forward to seeing her at the bonfire, but anything more than that...I hoped her father would approve of me.

Because I was certain that I had just met the woman I was going to marry.

**A/N: Sorry about that...need to make it possible for Billy and Jake to exist. Martha Young is Ephraim's wife in canon.**


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor, for betaing and pre-reading this story. Please note also that the warnings listed at the beginning of the story have been upgraded to comply with the listing requirements for other sites, including the insertion of a warning of character death.

**A/N: I found an article on Quileute marriage customs. It makes for interesting reading and is at www(dot)quileutenation(dot)org/newsletter/march_2011(dot)pdf. There were several acceptable methods mentioned for a couple to get together, and I have chosen this one.**

"**_Tiwáskal – In ordinary families a boy would simply choose the girl he wanted, sometimes at the urging of his family. He would take over whatever presents he could put together and ask the girl's family. It was common for them to make him wait a day or two for an answer, during which time he had to sit outside beside the door (rain or shine) and prove that he was serious._"**

1937

EphPOV

It had been a week since Martha had returned home to the Makah reservation, and I missed her terribly. I missed everything about her; her dark expressive eyes, her long silky black hair, her shyness and naivéte.

My resolve was firming. I needed to go to see Martha, to find out whether or not she would agree to marry me, as I didn't want to spend another day away from her. And then try to persuade her father that I was a suitable husband for his daughter. I hoped that I could succeed at that task, but realistically I wasn't from her tribe, and it was possible that he might not accept me.

I really was making life hard for myself. If Martha had been Quileute then as the pack Alpha and a Council member my standing would be much stronger. Now, all I could do was travel to the Makah reservation and hope that there was nobody else in her life of her choosing, or her family's, and wait until I had my answer.

While I was planning that trip, I replayed the night of the bonfire in my head.

_When I arrived at the bonfire, I looked around to see where Martha was sitting. At first, I didn't see her anywhere; the people on the other side were in the darkness and the flames obscured my vision. Then as I looked more closely, I saw her seated between two of her local cousins. _

_I looked around me, the storytelling part of the bonfire hadn't started yet, and nobody was paying any particular attention to me. It seemed like a good time to go over to Martha and talk to her, it had been a trial for me to have to wait for the rest of the week to pass until I could see her again. Time and time again I started to head over to her cousins' house, and time and time again I stopped myself; she deserved to have that time with her loved ones._

_I got up, and wandered over to where Martha was sitting. Her cousins noticed me before she did._

"_Ephraim Black. To what do we owe the pleasure?" one girl asked._

_I had forgotten what a sharp tongue those girls had. "No pleasure of yours, I'm sure, I'm here to talk to Martha."_

"_Well, excuse us then."_

_They got up and moved to another part of the circle. I said to Martha, "Do you mind if I sit down?"_

"_Um, no, not at all."_

"_You seem nervous. Did you think that I wouldn't show up?"_

_She blushed. It was hard to see in the dim light provided by the flames, and her skin was not as pale as a hokwát's, but it was there. She must have expected that I wouldn't be true to my word, that I would either not turn up to the bonfire at all (not an option for the Alpha), or not approach her during it. Such diffidence, it was both charming and annoying. I would need to do my best to make her feel better about herself._

"_I am a man of my word. But in truth, I have been looking forward to tonight. Nothing could keep me away. So how have you enjoyed your time at La Push?"_

"_It's been great. I'm really not looking forward to going home tomorrow."_

_That was a shock. I had hoped that I'd have more than a night to try to impress her, perhaps I needed to make the best use of the time I had? "Can I get you anything? We have some fish and other food here tonight for everyone."_

"_I've already eaten, but thanks."_

"_Then would you like to take a walk along the beach with me?"_

"_Yes, I'd like that."_

_I stood up, took her hand, and helped her to stand. We turned, and set off in the direction of the cliffs; I held my arm out, and she linked it in hers._

_As we walked, I tried to bring her out of her shell some more. "I'd like you to tell me some more about yourself."_

"_There's not much to tell. I live at home with my parents and a brother and sister, and I help my mother with them."_

"_What do you do in your spare time?"_

_She laughed. "I don't have much spare time."_

_I knew what that was like. "No, neither do I."_

_There was a large piece of driftwood towards the end of the beach. I liked to sit on it and gaze out to sea in my quieter moments; it centred me, brought me peace when there were problems to be dealt with. I had sat here for hours contemplating what to do about the Cullens. I pointed to it._

"_Why don't we sit down?"_

_We sat down, and I turned to her, and took her hand in mine. "I know we haven't known each other for long, but I want you to know that you mean a lot to me. I know I'm going to miss you when you leave tomorrow."_

_She turned to me, her eyes soft and full of an emotion that was hard for me to describe. "I feel the same way. You are such an important man here, I didn't think that you could be interested in someone like me."_

_I felt overwhelmed, knowing that my feelings were returned. "May I kiss you?"_

_She leaned towards me and I mirrored her, cupping her chin in my hand and kissing her softly on her lips, nose and cheeks. I put my arms around her, and held her to me. She was so warm, and I buried my nose in her hair, drinking in the essence of her. I never wanted the moment to end, but I knew that it was time to go back to the bonfire. "I think we need to be getting back now, time for the Elders to tell the stories of our legends. I have to be there, but I wish I could stay here with you."_

"_Will you sit with me?"_

"_I'd love to."_

_As we walked back to the bonfire, we tried to rejoin the circle unnoticed. From the looks I was getting it was clear that we had failed, but my tribal friends knew better than to make a scene about it. Martha listened to the legends with rapt attention, and the whole time her fingers were entwined with mine. It was a delicious feeling._

_Afterwards, I walked her back to her cousin's place and took my leave. I was going to be on patrol when Martha left the next day, so she wouldn't see me, but I would see her. I kissed her again, and then said goodbye. It was one of the hardest things I had ever done._

_The next morning I got up, walked into the woods, phased, and ran towards the home of Martha's cousin. They couldn't see me in the forest, but I had a good view of Martha leaving the house, and getting into the car to take her back to her home. I ran through the woods for miles, enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing through my fur, and the sound of my paws hitting the underbrush, until I reached the limit of our territory. Then I sat and watched the car disappear into the distance, turned and started running the lines again._

And so here I was, sitting around, pining for Martha like a teenage boy. So help me, I reminded myself of that useless mop-haired Cullen boy. Time to do something positive to change my situation.

I went and saw Quil & Levi. They had just come off patrol for the night and were chatting at the edge of the forest. Levi turned and saw me first. "Well, if it isn't the man of the moment. The big bad wolf who I saw making puppy-dog eyes at Martha Young at the bonfire."

"Hello to you too, Levi. I'd be careful what I said about Martha if I were you."

"Sounds like you have got it bad, Ephraim. Can't you find yourself a cure? There are enough Quileute women around here who'd be happy to throw themselves at you."

OK. That was it. We were all men, and if Levi wanted to be the playboy of La Push that was his business. He would settle down soon enough, but Martha was pure and sweet. I would not have her name bandied about like she was some common slut. "That's enough Levi."

"Oh, loosen up, Ephraim. I was just joking. She's a pretty girl, I could go for her myself."

Now I was angry. One advantage of being the Alpha, you could enforce your will when you needed to. "ENOUGH, LEVI. YOU WILL NOT SPEAK OF MARTHA DISRESPECTFULLY."

He started to reply to me, but the words froze in his throat. Mission accomplished.

"Quil, I need to leave the Rez for a few days. I'm going to the Makah Reservation. I'll try not to be away for too long but I'll phase now and then to keep in touch. If you have any issues while I'm away, speak to the Council. It might be necessary to ask Carlisle Cullen for help, but I hope not."

I glared at Levi. He was still struggling to speak. "And not a word from you."

"Alright then, Ephraim, try not to be gone too long. We'll take care of things while you're away."

Apart from the chance to see Martha again, and make her mine, I was looking forward to the trip. I didn't have a fancy car like Carlisle did, but I could phase and run there in my wolf form. I would need to take clothes with me, and gifts for Martha and her family, and the best way I could think of to do that would be to put everything into a bag and hang it around my neck. Cumbersome, but what else could I do? The three of us did have spare clothes that we kept in strategic places in the forests we patrolled, but Neah Bay was too far away for that.

After giving some thought to what gifts I could take with me, I decided to take some hand woven jewellery - bracelets and necklaces, plus a facemask. I couldn't take anything too bulky, as it would be too difficult to run with it. I went to see some of the artworks that different tribal members produced, and found some pieces that I thought Martha and her family would like. Having chosen and collected them, I went back to my house, packed my bag with the gifts and my clothes, and jogged out into the forest. I hung the bag from a branch, phased, and put my snout and head through the handle of the bag, dragging it off the branch. With one last look at La Push, I set off to find my future.

The run was quiet, as birds and smaller animals sensed the presence of a predator in their midst. Even though we wolves didn't hunt other living creatures their reaction was instinctive. After a few hours, I began to hear the sounds of human activity. It was both exciting and nerve-wracking to be so close to Martha again. What if I was sent packing? I kept running, my paws hitting the ground as silently as possible, until I reached the edge of the forest near the Makah Reservation. There I phased back and changed into my clothes as quickly as possible, picked up my bag and walked out of the forest towards the nearest houses.

There was no instinct to guide me towards Martha, no mythical pull or sixth sense about where she might be. The only thing I could do was to approach somebody and ask them for directions, which I did. The instructions given soon found me outside a small house on the other side of the Reservation, trying to muster up the courage to knock on the door.

But before I could do anything, the door opened and a tall middle-aged Makah man walked out. He stopped and looked at me. "Who are you?"

"My name is Ephraim Black, sir."

"I believe I have heard of you. You are Quileute, are you not?"

"Yes I am. A member of their Tribal Council."

"That is how I have heard of you. What are you doing here?"

"I have come here to speak to the parents of Martha Young."

"I am her father. What is your business with her?"

"Sir, I met her when she visited the Quileute Reservation last week. I have come here to ask your permission for me to take her hand in marriage."

His eyes narrowed, and he looked me up and down. "I'm sure you're well regarded where you come from, but you're not Makah. Why should I allow my daughter to marry you and leave this tribe, never to return?"

"I love your daughter and promise to make her a good husband. She would be in La Push, it is true, but she could visit you from time to time. I have brought gifts for your family and would only ask that you discuss this matter with Martha, and with her mother, and give me an answer. I will wait here until I receive it."

"Then come inside. The women are there and may wish to speak with you."

"Thank you. I have come far, and any hospitality is most welcome."

I went inside the door, followed by Mr Young, who closed it behind us. The women turned to face us, they weren't expecting him to be back so soon, and when they saw me, Mrs Young looked quizzically at her husband, and Martha became flustered.

Her parents looked at her closely, and her father spoke. "Martha, do you know this man?"

She looked at me, and at them. I smiled and tried to send her some confidence, but I was feeling pretty awkward myself. "Yes father, mother, this is Ephraim Black. I met him at the Quileute Reservation last week."

"Then why didn't you mention him before now?"

"Because I didn't think that I would ever see him again. He is a powerful man in his tribe, and I am but a girl."

I couldn't let that remark pass without comment. "You are many things Martha, but just a girl is not one of them. You mean everything to me, as I said to you last week."

I turned to her parents. "I have brought gifts for you and Martha. They're not much, but this was all that I could carry on my trip here." I fished the gifts out of my bag, and handed them out; the mask to Mr Young, the necklace to Mrs Young and the woven bracelet to Martha.

Martha's father spoke again. "I am not going to give you my answer now. I need to discuss this with Martha and her mother. You can wait outside for my decision, or try to find somewhere to rest nearby."

"Thank you sir. I will be outside or in the forest waiting for your answer. Just call out when you are ready to see me, I won't be far away."

I was happy with what had happened. It would be a trial to have to wait for an answer, and I was hoping that my pack mates would not have any issues to deal with while I was gone, but at least Martha's family didn't reject me outright.

I tiptoed into the forest, making sure that nobody saw or heard me, disrobed, and phased. Levi and Quil were also phased, so I was able to check that everything in La Push was fine, and to talk to them for a while. I decided to stay in my wolf form and sleep on the forest floor, I was warm in my fur coat, and didn't need to find a house to sleep in. I just hoped that I wouldn't be discovered out here, or asked where I had stayed.

I woke the next morning, cleaned myself up, and went back to Martha's house. I hadn't heard from them, so there was nothing to do but sit outside the house and wait. I knew what this was, it was Tiwáskal, they were considering my offer and I was going to have to sit tight and wait for their answer. There were other ways of choosing and starting a relationship with a girl, but I was not a caveman, and neither would I live with Martha out of wedlock.

I waited all day, and there was no response. As the sun began to set, I trudged back to the forest. It was a little easier to summon up the anger needed to bring forth my wolf form this time, as I was feeling frustrated. And I was hungry, I couldn't risk being seen trying to catch a fish, but I caught a squirrel and ate it. It was revolting. Eating raw meat was normal for a wolf, but it was something my pack only did when we had to.

As I settled I could hear the conversation in Martha's house. Voices were raised, and it was clear that whilst Martha and her father, surprisingly enough, were in favour of my suit, Martha's mother did not want to lose her daughter to a distant reservation. It sounded as though she would have to yield, Martha's father would have the final say, and he saw me as a man of substance. I would need to wait until they summoned me though, so I curled up into a ball, draped my tail over my snout, and went to sleep.

Just as I was waking the next morning, I heard the door open and somebody walk outside. It was too late for me to materialise from the forest unnoticed, so I phased back, dressed, and walked out of the trees and down to the house.

Martha heard my footsteps, and ran towards me. "They said yes!" She put her head on my chest and I wrapped my arms around her before she could escape them again, tilting my head down and burying my nose in her hair. I loved the smell of her hair. Her father emerged then, looked at us, and a faint smile played around his lips. He walked over to us, and extended his hand. I unwrapped my right hand from around Martha's waist, and grasped his hand, shaking it firmly.

"I have one request to make of you, Ephraim."

"Name it."

"Martha is a good girl. I would prefer it if she left this Reservation as your wife, not your intended."

"That is acceptable to me, as long as the wedding is not delayed. I have responsibilities back in La Push that cannot be carried by others for more than a few days."

We decided to have the wedding the next day, and depart for La Push immediately afterwards. It was unusual for me, as the Alpha of the La Push pack and a Council member of my tribe, to have such a low-key wedding; but Martha's reputation was as important to me as it was to her and her family. I had no real standing here, and a feast could be held at La Push upon our return.

I spent my final night with the Makah in the home of my future bride, not in the forest, and human, not wolf. My future father-in-law provided me with some wedding clothes, and Martha wore Makah traditional dress. She was beautiful, and took my breath away when she walked towards me, nervous but beaming. A short time later, we were husband and wife, and I felt I was the happiest man alive.

The only cloud on our happiness, at least in the short term, was working out how to take my wife - how wonderful that sounded - back to La Push with me. She did not yet know I was a wolf, and I preferred to have that conversation with her after we had arrived in our new home. I was saved from having to confess all to her, and run home with her on my back, by a Makah elder, who probably suspected that I was a wolf.

My pack was by no means the first to grace La Push, and the exploits of previous packs might have reached this Reservation. We were offered the use of a truck which belonged to the tribe, and a driver who would take us to La Push, and then return afterwards.

So some hours after becoming husband and wife, Martha and I found ourselves in my own, and her future, home. We needed to inform the Council of the marriage, so hand in hand we walked to the meeting house, where I found Quil's father and some other Elders.

"So, Ephraim, who is this beautiful woman on your arm?" Quil asked.

"My wife, Martha." Wife, I still wasn't used to saying that. I hoped I never grew sick of saying it.

Their eyes widened. "This is rather sudden isn't it? I don't remember seeing you together much before now," commented another.

"Martha was here last week. And the heart wants what it wants. I know I will love her for the rest of our lives together."

"Congratulations. I assume that you are here to inform the Elders of your marriage, so consider it done. We will hold a bonfire and feast to welcome Martha to the Quileute Reservation next Saturday, if that's alright with you."

"That would be wonderful. Martha can hear some more of the legends...she needs to be a full member of the tribe. In the meantime, we have a marriage to start, so we'll see you later."

I couldn't afford to give Martha a honeymoon, and I didn't think she really expected one. Everything had happened so suddenly, and for her the relocation to La Push was enough of a change of scene. I wanted to make love to her, to seal our marriage so much, I could barely think straight. But there was something else I owed her first. She needed to see me for what I really was.

"Martha, my darling, would you like to take a walk with me into the forest? You'll be quite safe."

"Of course my love. What is it that you want me to see?"

I strolled with her hand-in-hand into the trees, until we couldn't be seen from the houses anymore. And then I indicated a fallen log, and motioned towards it. She sat down, and looked at me expectantly.

"This." And with that, I turned my back to her, walked several feet away, removed my clothes and phased.


	7. Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor for betaing and pre-reading this story.

1938

EdPOV

After two years in Forks, I was finally going to be leaving for college. Not a day too soon either. I knew Carlisle and Esme had enjoyed putting down roots in this Godforsaken place, and Emmett certainly needed to be away from big cities, but I was bored to death. It was too wet, too green, and too lupine.

Over that period of time the wolves had finally begun to notice that we were settling in for a long stay. And that we were using our powers of persuasion to keep the fine people of Forks completely happy with that state of affairs. So cry me a river.

Ephraim managed to get his head in the game for long enough to summon Carlisle to the treaty line for a **discussion.** Since his marriage to Martha he had been completely distracted, which suited us, but his pack mates were beginning to despair of him. That was until Emmett decided to glamor a girl from the La Push Rez in his travels.

She went home spouting all kinds of nonsense about how wonderful we were and it didn't take long for the great and mighty Alpha to sniff us out, literally and figuratively. So the five of us found ourselves at the treaty line again, Carlisle and I in front and the others behind us; being confronted by two snarling wolves and one supremely riled Alpha about our intentions towards the town and its inhabitants.

Times like this I hated my mind-reading gift. Yes, it was useful, but wading around inside the minds of these dogs was about as unpleasant as drinking rabbit blood. And there were some very graphic mental pictures being projected of dismemberment, venom and matches. You could always rely on Levi Uley to come up with the most imaginative scenarios for our demise.

There was no point in relaying any of that to Carlisle. For one thing, they would hear us. For another, it would make no difference. He was determined to play the diplomat, within reason. And although his need to remain here was as strong as ever, he genuinely wanted to get along with Ephraim and his pack and would not stand for any dissension.

Ephraim spoke first. "Is it true that you have been using your vampiric powers to persuade the people you encounter to forget that you're monsters?"

Carlisle sighed. "You know, and I know, that we are vampires. But they don't, and when the odd person works out that something is up we need to do something to keep the secret."

Ephraim glared at us. "If staying here is such a problem for you, then why don't you go? You've been here for two years now, it wouldn't look bad if you were to leave. We'd like to have normal lives, shape shifting is a burden on both the body and the soul."

Carlisle's butterscotch eyes flared with a fire I had rarely seen in them before now. "We are not going anywhere, you're going to have to get used to us being here, and I don't care whether you want us here or not."

"Oh, you can be very sure that we don't want you here... you..." Ephraim snarled, his words being swallowed by his explosion into a wall of fur, claws and teeth. His mind was a maelstrom of anger, disillusionment and hate. There was a longing to leave the supernatural world behind and be with his wife, coupled with a dawning realisation that at the time the treaty was signed he had been duped.

I waited for his thoughts to calm down enough that I could begin to convey them to Carlisle, but the growling was getting louder and louder, and all three of them had their hackles raised. Finally some coherent thoughts began to filter through the mess of Ephraim's brain.

I spoke. "He's furious with us all, especially you Carlisle. He knows that the treaty didn't specify a period for us to stay here, but he feels it was implied that in order to keep the secret, we would need to move on at some point. And although dazzling doesn't break the treaty it's not in the spirit of it, either."

Carlisle nodded. "It's true, I have been less than frank with you, but I have wandered this earth for hundreds of years. I was alone for most of them, and I just wanted to belong someplace for once."

Ephraim snorted. At least that was what the sound coming from his enormous snout sounded like. That thought didn't need much translation but I provided it anyway. "He says if your life is so unbearable that you could always walk into a bonfire. He'd even let you over the treaty line to attend one if you would guarantee there'd be a pile of purple ash afterwards."

Carlisle's eyes widened. He was so used to making his way in this life trying to befriend everyone he met, that real hostility was unsettling for him. Of course Levi had always been rude, but I knew Carlisle dismissed him as a hothead. He respected Ephraim, and so the anger and derision being directed back at him from that quarter was upsetting.

He tried to calm the situation. "Our presence here is non-negotiable but I promise you that no humans will be harmed by us. The steps we have taken will ensure that should the Volturi ever pass this way, they are protected from execution for knowing our secret. And we give you our word as we did before that your secret is safe with us."

I turned to Carlisle. "I think you had better explain to them about the Volturi. They are puzzled about that and it is making them more angry, not less."

He nodded and looked back at the wolves. "The Volturi are like vampire royalty. They have existed for thousands of years and we are expected to live circumspectly, and keep the secret of our true nature from humans. If any human finds out what we really are and the Volturi find out about it, our lives and that of the human would be forfeit. But they live in Italy and rarely travel much to this part of the world. It might be hundreds of years before they come here, if at all."

Ephraim regained his human form. He was less angry, less everything really, standing in front of us completely unperturbed by the fact that his clothes had been shredded. These dogs really had no sense of shame, there were ladies present after all. "I don't like this. I don't like it AT ALL, but I don't want to start a war either. We WILL revisit this at a later date, but for now please try to behave like normal human beings. If you don't there will be consequences. Oh, and leave the Quileute alone. That is MY tribe, MY rules, you don't go near them."

Carlisle's shoulders sagged. "As you wish, we will try to be more circumspect in future."

The meeting ended. The wolves watched us turn and run in the direction of our home, before doing the same. I looked over my shoulder in time to see Ephraim phase on the fly, something I had never seen done before. I had to admit it was impressive, even for him.

As we walked in the front door of the house, Carlisle turned to Emmett. "I trust Edward not to break the undertaking I just gave Ephraim, but so help me, if you mess up like this again, then you and Rose can find your own way in the world. I don't need any more problems like that; the wolves are annoyed enough as it is."

Emmett's eyes darted around the room. "Aww...sorry again Dad, I guess sometimes I just can't control myself. It sure was fun dazzling that girl, I just wanted to make her say some silly things, guess I went too far. "

"I know you mean well, Emmett", Carlisle said, "but that won't do us any good if we are sent away or killed because you wanted to have a bit of fun with the locals."

Rose was becoming irritated. Her nostrils flared - a head toss couldn't be too far away. "I don't suppose, Carlisle, that your precious Edward has to toe the same line, does he?"

I never did like Rosalie. Social climbing tramp, I would never understand why Carlisle had bitten her. So I decided to put her in her place. "Carlisle knows that I am more controlled than Emmett. He also knows that as I am going away to college very soon he has nothing to fear from me. I will never be a threat to the secret here in Forks."

Esme had not said much so far about this issue, but she never did like arguments. "That's enough everyone, we know what we have to do, let's get on and do it, shall we?"

And with that, Mr and Mrs House Vampire snapped their personas back into place, and normal service was resumed. It was all too much for me, I went out in search of a mountain lion for my dinner.

EphPOV

As Levi, Quil and I ran back through the forest, we communicated silently within the pack mind. For once, we were in agreement about the Cullens and what they had done.

"_I hate to say I told you so Ephraim, but...I told you so," crowed Levi._

"_Yes you did, and it's true to say that we've been lied to, but even now I still think that the treaty is worthwhile," I replied._

"_Why is that?" asked Quil. "Surely it can't be of any benefit to us to have Cold Ones on our doorstep if they are going to threaten their secret, and maybe ours."_

_It wasn't as easy as that, I had given my word. "I don't want them here, I wasn't lying when I said that, but they __**are **__here and so we have to find a way to make that work for us."_

"_You mean use them for our benefit?" Quil was openly sceptical about that._

"_Can't be done," scoffed Levi. "We should just drive them off or end them, I'd be happy to light the match."_

"_Think about it..." I tried to reason with them. "I still believe that their dream of staying here for too much longer is just that, a dream. Sooner or later one of them will slip up, probably the gigantic one, and they will have to hightail it out of Forks. Until then, we can use them as backup in case of any more vampire attacks around here. There are only three of us after all."_

_Quil shook his head as he ran. "I really think you are too trusting, Ephraim. I am suspicious of Carlisle and I think he has plans that we are not going to like."_

"_You may well be right but my hands are tied. I can't force them out without either breaking the treaty myself or waiting for them to do it...but..."_

_Levi interrupted me. "Oh, I'd be happy to do that for you Ephraim, just say the word, there's no treaty if they're dead..."_

"_And there's no treaty if we're dead Levi, remember they outnumber us. But we will watch them more closely from now on, to ensure that our secret is safe and our people protected. If anything untoward happens I will be phased and attacking faster than either of you can MOVE."_

_They both nodded their heads. It would be a wait and see operation, and frankly I hoped that we wouldn't have to wait too long._

We were near the edge of the forest now, so I transformed, looked around carefully, and then darted back into my house. Martha was sewing by the fire. So beautiful, I just had to walk over to her, kiss her and place my hand on her belly. Our first baby was due any day and although the pregnancy had become a burden, she still looked radiant, to me anyway.

She looked up. "Please don't tell me Ephraim that you have shredded another set of clothes. I know you know that if you phase dressed I can't save them. And go and put some pants on."

I gave her my best puppy dog look. "Are you sure Martha that we can't find a better use for my nakedness? It's been days..."

She looked me up and down appraisingly. I was happy to submit to her scrutiny, ever since the day of our marriage when I had phased in front of her she had liked to see me naked and I liked to let her look. It led to other things... but not today.

She put down her sewing, and held out her hand. I helped her to stand and then we walked into the kitchen. "You know I love you Ephraim, and I know you love me, because I carry the proof of it, but I am so tired today. It can't be too long now until our child is born, and I just need to rest. Would you lie with me a while?"

I could do that. We went into the bedroom and she shed her clothes and lay down with me to sleep. She found my warmth comforting, and I loved to spoon her and place my large palms over her belly to feel the baby move. We both fell asleep that way, and slept for some hours, until I was woken by a scream.

I shot out of the bed like a cannon blast and ran to the front door. I looked outside, but there was nothing there. So I trudged back to bed, only to find Martha doubled over, her lovely features etched in pain. She looked up at me with those brown eyes that I loved so much and started to speak.

"E... Ephraim... I, argh... I think I'm in labour... oh, please hold me..."

I started to panic. "W... what... d... do you need me to do, darling?"

Martha was flushed, and breathing heavily. "Go and get the nurse from the Reservation, I don't think I'm going to have time to go to a hospital."

That sounded just fine to me. If she went to Forks, there was a chance that Carlisle might be there and I did **not** want him to be the one to deliver our child. Quileute women had been delivering babies right here on the Rez for centuries and I was happy for that tradition to continue. I ran back out the front door, phasing on the fly, and took off into the forest as fast as my four legs would carry me.

Quil was patrolling alone, so we shared our thoughts as I ran. He was closer to the nurse's house and offered to raise the alarm. Since my panicky phase had left me naked **again**, I had no real option but to let him; I had no clothes stashed near there that I could put on. I turned around and went back to the house, dressed, sat by Martha, and waited for help to arrive.

The nurse bustled through the front door about half an hour later and started issuing instructions left and right. After getting the boiled water and cloths that she asked me for, I started to walk back into our bedroom to be with Martha.

And stopped when a voice asked me "Just where do you think you are going?"

I replied, "In there to be with my wife."

The nurse was adamant. "I don't think so, you can wait outside until we're finished, a birthing room is no place for a man."

I knew there was no way that I would be allowed to be with Martha, so I found a chair and settled in to wait. But I was restless, and couldn't sit still for long, so I resorted to pacing up and down and then, when that didn't help, asking the nurse how long she thought the whole thing was going to take.

She told me it would be hours yet, so I decided to head for the forest. As I saw it, I could either run for a while, and work out my nerves that way, or I could curl up and try to get some sleep. In the end, I did both, flopping down exhausted after a few hours and dozing off.

When I awoke, I could hear Martha panting and grunting with the effort of what she was doing. Although I didn't really know anything about labour, I was worried that she might be getting close to the end, so I sorted myself out and went back inside the house.

About ten minutes later, Martha let out the loudest scream I had heard from her yet, and then there was a cry. That was my cue to take off towards the bedroom, where the nurse turned to me with a smile. "Congratulations Mr Black, you and your wife have a fine healthy son."

Martha looked tired, but happy. "What shall we name him, Ephraim?"

I thought about it for a minute. "I'd like to name him William. That is the name of one of my ancestors, and a fitting name for a boy. That is, unless you have any objections to it."

"No, not at all. But we should also name him after my father. Without him giving you permission to marry me, there would be no child."

"William Elijah it is then. Our beautiful boy."

The nurse had finished cleaning him up by then, and wrapped him up then handed him to his mother. Mother and son, the two most important people in my life. I looked at Martha, and silently asked her the question that was uppermost in my mind. She knew me so well by then, smiling at me and saying "would you like to hold him, my love?"

I picked him up. So tiny, and yet so perfectly formed. His hands made tiny little fists, and he scrunched his face up and cried, but he was my son, and he looked just like me. Being a father was overwhelming, but the best thing that had ever happened to me. I would love him for the rest of my life.

And I hoped that however long his life might be, becoming a shape shifter would not be a part of it. I still had hope that he could escape my fate, but in truth I was beginning to realise that Carlisle had played me false. My mistake, my burden.

**A/N: The child born in this chapter is William Black Snr, Billy Black's father as per the Official Illustrated Guide by Stephenie Meyer**


	8. Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story. Feebes has provided specialist advice for this chapter also on medical matters.

**A/N: I reiterate the warnings that are in the Prologue - if you can't handle death, don't read this.**

1940

EphPOV

Today was the third anniversary of my wedding to Martha. The time had gone really quickly, and I found it hard to remember a time when she hadn't been a part of my life. While I was waiting for her to join me for an anniversary dinner I sat and thought about some of the happy times we had shared so far.

There was the very first day of our marriage, when I took her into the forest and phased in front of her. I had been really apprehensive about that, certain that she would run a mile in the opposite direction, wedding or no wedding, but her reaction was nothing like that.

As I took my clothes off, she openly ogled me. She had been so shy around me before we married that I was shocked at that. And then I changed into my wolf, and although her eyes widened, and she looked me over very carefully, she didn't run.

She called out to me. "Ephraim? Are you still in there?"

I nodded to her, and then crouched down on my haunches so that she could reach me. She came over to me and put her arms around my head, tickling my ears and whispering to me. I stuck my tongue out the side, lolling at the silly things she was saying, and then rolled over onto my back. She stroked my belly and it felt wonderful. We romped for a while, and then I had to phase back.

And that damn woman ogled me again. So, it being our wedding night that night, I didn't spare her blushes. This time, I turned back to face her; and she started, covered her eyes, uncovered them again, and finally looked at me...**all** of me.

I couldn't resist the temptation to tease her a bit. "Do you like what you see, darling?"

She glared at me. "Of course I do, but...err..." she gulped, "I'm only little and you're...um..."

"Big, yes I know. It's a wolf thing. Don't worry about it; I'll take care of you. We can go as fast or slow as you want us to...we have the rest of our lives to be together."

Martha looked relieved at that. I don't know what the men from her village were like, but I was no savage, nothing would happen unless it was what she wanted, when she wanted it. But it was an awkward subject, so to lighten the mood again I said "Perhaps we should go home now, I'll just get dressed again."

We did go home, and later that night I made love to her for the first time. I would say that it was the best night of my life, but William's birth takes that place now. And ever since then we've been completely physically compatible and I'm thankful for that, not all women enjoy lovemaking as much as Martha does.

And then there's William, or Bill as we call him. He's a beautiful little boy, nearly two years old now, and he makes us a family. I'm so proud of him and I can still remember how happy I was on the day he was born, holding him in my arms for the first time.

I cradled him, and looked into his brown and alert eyes. I had thought that my heart was full with Martha, but it got bigger the moment I first saw William. He cried, and so I handed him back to Martha so that she could feed him.

And then the nurse who had delivered him made her presence known again. "I think it's time for you to leave for a while, I need to help mother and baby get settled in with each other and get feeding started. Why don't you go and rest."

I was so excited, I didn't think I could sleep; so I made for the forest, and released my wolf. Levi and Quil were both phased as well, so I passed the news onto them.

For once there was no nastiness from Levi, just the usual jokes. "He looks like a fine boy Ephraim, and a lot like you. This is hardly surprising since you never leave your wife alone."

Quil congratulated us, and said that he would pass the news on to the Elders. I went for a long run to burn off all of my excess energy and then phased back, dressed and went home to start my new life as a Dad. Although it was a big responsibility, I was used to carrying the pack and tribe on my back.

Instead I found that I enjoyed being a father, and once he was old enough, I loved to play with William and help his mother to take care of him. I had made him a cradle board for his baby days, and he was strapped to it for his sleep times. I was looking forward to the days when he would be older, and we could run through the woods together, hunt and fish.

Last month, I came off a patrol to find Martha working in the kitchen and humming to herself. Suddenly she stopped, put her hand over her mouth and ran from the room. I followed, and found her outside, vomiting into a bush.

I waited for her to collect herself. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

She turned to me, looking very pale and sickly. "No, and I feel very much like I did two years ago, only worse. I didn't think that was even possible; don't you remember how sick I was with William?"

I looked hard at her, noting for the first time the things about her that I should have seen. The sallow cheeks, the circles under her eyes, hair that was lank and dull, and a belly that was more rounded than usual.

She seemed so drained that I reined in my excitement and wrapped her in my arms. "So you think you're pregnant again. Do you mind if I put my ear on your belly and listen for the heartbeat?"

She sighed. "No, not at all my love, your ears hear more than any stethoscope."

I released her, kneeled down, and leaned in towards her stomach. I heard a strong heartbeat on the right hand side of her belly, but then as I moved around towards the other side I heard a second heartbeat. I repeated what I had done and there was no doubt, Martha was carrying twins.

"Darling, I don't know if you're ready to hear this, but I can hear two heartbeats down there. I think that you're going to have twins."

"Twins? There are no twins in my family." Martha looked surprised, and more than a little apprehensive.

"Maybe not but there are in mine, almost every generation has a set. You should probably see a doctor this time around, just to be on the safe side." I hoped, rather than believed, that she would indulge me in that.

Martha's jaw took a firm set about it then, and she shook her head. "No doctors, I didn't need one last time and I don't need one this time. And you know that the only good doctor around here is Carlisle Cullen. Do you really want him to be delivering our baby?"

She had a point. The less we had to do with the Cullens, the more I liked it. I still hadn't forgiven them for misleading me about their intention to stay in Forks.

**FIVE MONTHS LATER...**

So here I was, waiting to go out to a bonfire with my lovely wife, William tucked up in bed and with a babysitter, and looking forward to the birth of my twins in a month's time.

Or it would have been in a month's time, had her waters not broken then. I was barefoot, walking towards the front door, when I stepped in a puddle of liquid.

I looked down, and then at Martha. She was quiet, but I could see she was suppressing the urge to cry out. "Go back to bed, I will go and get the nurse, it won't take me long and I'll be right back. And don't worry, you'll be OK."

I returned with the nurse about half an hour later. I was sorely tempted to run back to Martha as a wolf; but not everyone in the tribe was privy to that secret, so I settled myself and walked back with the nurse, chatting as if my mind wasn't back at the house with my wife and babies.

I didn't try to barge into the delivery room this time, even if it was my bedroom. I hung around near the door, waiting for some news.

And hung around some more... last time I had taken myself off into the forest and run myself ragged, then slept for a while before coming back to the house. This time, I wasn't sure whether it was instinct, or just the fact that there were two babies coming, but I couldn't leave.

And I couldn't sleep. I paced up and down, up and down, for hour upon hour. I could hear Martha yelling, screaming and grunting, but none of the noises she made seemed to be productive, like the sounds she made when she was pushing William out.

Finally, after almost a day, I couldn't stand it anymore. I was so worried, and my wolf was beside himself. I could feel him stirring within me, wanting, and needing to be unleashed. I took off towards the bedroom, making it in just a few long strides, and threw open the door.

The scene inside the room made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Martha was on the bed bathed in sweat, her throat raw from all of the noises she had been making. In her eyes was a look of fear, like the look a wild animal has when it meets a predator. I had seen that look often; it was the look my prey had when I hunted in my wolf form.

The nurse was mopping Martha's brow. She seemed frazzled, as if there were questions that she had and wasn't getting any answers to. I needed to know what was going on. "What's happening here?"

The nurse turned to me, and lowered her eyes. "I can't be sure Mr. Black, but the babies seem to be stuck. I have delivered twins before and they usually come out one after the other, but this time I think that maybe one of the babies is lying sideways across the bottom of Martha's womb and preventing either one of them from being born. I have tried to turn it around but so far my efforts have been in vain."

I leaned down and listened to the babies again. I had done that throughout Martha's pregnancies, I loved to hear the babies' heartbeats, but now they were slower than they had been, and the beats weren't as strong. And the babies didn't seem to be moving much at all.

I needed some answers. "Can you fix this?"

The nurse shook her head. "No sir, I don't have the instruments, or the training to use them. Mrs Black needs to be seen by a doctor."

My fear made me angry. "And just when were you planning to tell me this? We need to do something before it's too late."

"I thought I could handle it. I did last time, and we Quileute women don't need men to deliver our babies for us, we never have before."

Martha coughed, and rasped out my name. "Ephraim..."

I took her hand. "Yes, darling?"

She whispered, "_I think we need Dr Cullen to come here._"

"No! I won't have it! NO!" That man was not allowed over the treaty line for a **reason**.

Just then Martha was gripped by a fierce contraction and cried out in agony. I took her hand, and waited for it to pass, but it didn't. And the look on Martha's face as she tried to endure the pain shook me to the core. There was something in it that propelled me forward; out of the room, out of the house and off the Reservation towards the Cullen house.

Levi was patrolling and I phased as I ran, silently beseeching him to mobilize the people of the Rez to take care of William and stand guard over my house until I could return. There was no point in running a patrol to keep vampires away from La Push when I was on an errand to invite one into my home. He was none too happy about it but knew better than to challenge me. Whatever I wanted done was only an Alpha order away, and I was half wild with my fear of what might happen to Martha.

In my haste I hadn't thought about how I was going to reach Carlisle, let alone speak to him. The treaty line worked two ways; they couldn't come to La Push, but we couldn't trespass on their land either. But then, as I was running through the woods beyond the treaty line I came across Carlisle and Esme out hunting, or whatever it was that they called it.

For once I wished that Edward was around to read my mind. But he wasn't, so I assumed my human form again. To say that Carlisle wasn't happy to see me was an understatement. "You had better have a good reason to be here Ephraim; you know perfectly well that you are on the wrong side of the treaty line."

I was too panicked to argue the toss with him. "It's my wife Martha. She is in labor with twins and there is something terribly wrong. They are not coming out and the nurse says that she can't turn them. Would you please come with me and help her? I don't want to lose her."

Esme spoke. "Carlisle, you'd better go, we need to forget our differences and help Ephraim. I'll go and get your bag, if someone could wait for me at the treaty line to take it, and you can go back now with him."

With that, we ran back in the direction of my home, and Esme took off back to get the medical bag. In no time at all I was back at the edge of the forest, phasing back into my human form, dressing and rushing back inside the house, closely followed by Carlisle. My pack mates stepped aside reluctantly to let him pass, and for once I didn't stop to take note of Levi's mutterings, much less respond to them.

We entered the room, and while Carlisle was waiting for his bag, which showed up a little while later, he went over to Martha and sat down beside her. He asked her, "Do you mind if I examine you? I need to know what is going on with your babies."

He placed his hands over her uterus, and it was as much as I could stand to be there to see him touch my wife. Only the thought that he could help her stopped me from throwing him back out of the house. He moved his hands this way and that pressing and manipulating for a couple of minutes.

I could not bear it any more. "Well, what's happening? Can you do anything?"

He looked up. "I can try to turn the one that is sideways but really you should have called me much sooner. Your wife is exhausted; she is not strong enough now to push them out. The only other option is a caesarean."

Scalpels? Vampires? I thought not. "You can't be serious, there'll be blood and you're a vampire."

Carlisle glared at me. "A vampire who has never tasted human blood in his 300 years of existence. If you don't let me at least try to do this then I can't save either your wife or your babies."

I thought about it for a minute. "Try to turn them and if that doesn't work then I will agree to the caesarean."

Carlisle went to work, and even though he had his vampire strength to call upon, there didn't seem to be any movement from the baby he was trying to turn. He gave it one last try, and as he attempted to move the baby into the right position, Martha suffered another powerful contraction. Like the one I had seen earlier, this one lasted far too long. In fact, it didn't slacken off at all. And then there was a rush of blood from Martha onto the bed.

Carlisle's eyes blackened, and I shoved him out of the way. "You are not going to bite my wife. I will end you if you do."

He collected himself, and assumed a submissive posture towards me, head down and hands up, just in case. "I've done this before, Ephraim. You can't be a doctor and be concerned with blood. I'm perfectly fine, but unless you let me cut the twins out they will die."

I kissed Martha on the forehead, nodded and settled myself near her head. I couldn't stand to see my love in such straits, but I had to be there in case Carlisle tried to bite her. Even though being around him tested my patience beyond its limits.

CPOV

Ephraim had really messed up this time. I didn't have the heart to tell him, but he should have asked me to deliver the babies as soon as he learned that Martha was expecting twins. It was ridiculous to rely on tribal nurses for something so risky. I couldn't blame him for his mistrust of me, I had not dealt honestly with him in the past, but it was his wife who would pay the price for that.

And now she had hemorrhaged. Again, I didn't want to destroy Ephraim's hopes, but being called in like this, where there were no facilities and no blood bank, meant that it was unlikely that I could save Martha's life. The emergency caesarean was more to do with trying to save at least one of the twins.

I set to work. The nurse knew enough about these procedures to have already gathered everything I would need, and prepared Martha for the cut. It would have been better if I could have given her an anesthetic for it, but I didn't have any with me. In any event she was so weak that she didn't cry out. It only took minutes to perform the operation, and get the babies out.

They didn't breathe when they were born, so the nurse and I each took a child and attempted to revive them. But after a couple of minutes when there was no response I had to reluctantly call off the resuscitation attempts and declare them stillborn.

And then I turned back to Martha, who was losing blood rapidly. I knew a few tricks to try to stop the flow, and I tried those, but there was nothing I could do. The only thing I could have done was to have been here from the start, and I wasn't.

So she continued to bleed out, and I called Ephraim over to the other side of the room where we could talk. He looked around him, and saw the two infants lying quietly and very still over in one corner on the cradle boards he had made for them. Then he looked at Martha again, and it began to register that she was slipping away from him.

He got up in my face and yelled "What have you done to her?"

"I've tried to save her life. It's you who played God with it by allowing a nurse to try to deliver twins. Her placenta separated from the uterine wall Ephraim, it caused her to hemorrhage. The twins died because of that - they bled out, they didn't get enough oxygen, and she is going to die of blood loss too. So hold her and comfort her, and say your goodbyes because there's nothing left for me to do."

He went back over to the bed and climbed onto it, curling up behind his wife and holding her to him as her life ebbed away. He turned her head towards him, looked into her eyes, and mouthed words of love to her which would be the last things she would ever hear. I felt like an intruder, so I called the nurse over and we cleaned and wrapped up the babies - twin girls.

Shortly afterwards, she sighed and drew her last breath. Ephraim clutched her to him with all the strength he had and wailed, making a keening sound that I had never heard from a man. I went over to him.

"I'm sorry Ephraim for your loss, but we need to clean Martha up now, so you'll have to leave us. Do you want to give your daughters names?"

He was barely rational, but after a minute of thought, he said, "Call them Mary and Jane. It matters little; their spirits have left this plane. And do not refer to my wife by name ever again, her name is not to be mentioned, it is taboo."

And with that, he left the room and the house, pushing past the people gathered outside and running towards the forest. Seconds later the most spine-chilling howl I had ever heard rent the air.


	9. Chapter 9

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story. This chapter is dedicated to feebes, who asked me to write it.

**A/N: Wolves CAN run to Canada, they just need to go South and East first. They live on a peninsula, not an island.**

1940

EphPOV

Running... running... paws pounding into the forest floor... wind whistling past my ears... tears running down my snout.

Past La Push, past Forks, past Hoquiam and Olympia. Out of the peninsula, north towards Tacoma, Seattle and Canada.

Running, running, running. Because running was better than thinking. Because thinking reminded me of all that I had lost. Because I had lost almost everything.

Yesterday I thought I would have a family of five. Today, there was only Bill and I. And I was no use to him.

Running until my paws bled, until my stomach growled louder than I could. I felt so empty, so hungry, so tired, but I couldn't stop running.

Levi and Quil tried to stop me, talking to me in my mind, but I just kept running until I was out of range.

I didn't want to be Alpha, didn't want to live, and didn't want to think about what I had done.

Because my prejudices and bad decisions had cost my wife her life. My wife, whose name I must never again utter; my wife, whose spirit had left the earthly plane and whose body would go to Akalát.

My babies were gone. My daughters, who never had a chance to live. I would never have the chance to know them. I could not imagine ever becoming a father again; the pain of losing my girls was too much to bear.

Blood, so much blood. More than I could have believed one person could contain. Blood everywhere. It made me want to vomit, to try to forget everything I'd seen, but I knew those images would stay with me for the rest of my life. And I hoped that life would not be too long.

Maybe if I ran for long enough I would just die. If my wife had been my imprint, I would have. There were other wolves, somebody else could be Alpha.

And if the Cullens wiped them out, what was that to me? I, who had lost everything, could not find it in me to care about anything anybody else might lose. I just wanted my mind to go blank, to give me peace.

I ran until I could run no further. I found a secluded spot in the forest, flopped down on my side, and tried to sleep.

LPOV

When Ephraim left La Push, he left behind one hell of a mess. A dead wife, two dead children, another child fatherless for now. A house that looked like a war zone, with a human and a vampire alone in it.

People had begun to gather once the news leaked out. Everyone wanted to know where Ephraim was, and nobody could find him. I caught Quil's eye, and he nodded and slipped away from the gathering.

As Ephraim's beta, it fell to me to try to do the things he should have been doing. Talking to the Elders, taking charge of the bodies and arranging for the funeral rites. As the wife of the Alpha it was decided to give Ephraim's wife a canoe burial on Akalát, together with her babies.

And finding a way to get Carlisle Cullen off the Reservation before someone torched him. For most of us, including me, Cold Ones were the enemy; it didn't matter how friendly they were or what color eyes they had.

I wasn't used to being in charge. Ephraim was so commanding, so larger than life, it had never occurred to anyone, least of all me, that he would abandon his tribe like this. And his wife was not his imprint; so as terrible as his loss was, I hadn't expected him to lose his mind.

Once the house was cleaned up and the bodies removed from it, I asked the crowd to disperse. Bill was still with his babysitter, and I went to see her to make sure that he could stay there a while longer. That wasn't an issue though; every mother in La Push wanted to take care of him.

And after that I slipped away myself and phased. Quil's thoughts were clear in my mind; he was running south to try to catch Ephraim before he left the peninsula. Ephraim's thoughts were crazed, disjointed; like an endless stream of despair and loss. And he was running like he was possessed; neither of us stood any chance of catching him.

I tried to communicate with him. "_Ephraim, I know you can hear me, TURN AROUND AND COME BACK TO LA PUSH."_

I was only a beta, so I couldn't issue an Alpha order, but I hoped that if he was distracted my order would work on him. It didn't.

I tried again. "_Ephraim, be reasonable, your tribe needs you and your wife and children need you. Are you going to run away and leave them to go to God in your absence? Are you going to leave the tribe unprotected? There are four vampires in Forks and two wolves."_

There was no response. Just a jumbled mess of running, blood, brown eyes, and grief. He could hear me, but nothing registered.

I talked to Quil. _"Quil, turn around. You're never going to catch him, and he's running so far and so fast that by the time he's ready to come back, he won't be able to. He's probably running to Canada, we'll need to organize a trip there by truck, and to do that we need to talk to the Elders, and to the Cullens."_

He agreed to my request. _"I hate to say it but you're right. I've seen him angry before, but never this irrational. I spoke to him, begged him to come home, but he wouldn't listen. I'll turn around now, and I'll see you again in a couple of hours."_

If this business proved anything to me, it was that I never wanted to be Alpha.

I went to see the Elders, and asked them to convene a meeting of the Tribal Council. I needed to get their permission to mount a recovery mission for Ephraim; I was sure that if he was left to his own devices that he would die. If not from starvation in the wilds of Canada, then from exhaustion in the attempt to come home again, if he ever did.

There was some resistance to my request, as we were not a large or rich tribe. Spending the money and the time to retrieve our Alpha would be costly, in more ways than one; but Ephraim was the glue that held La Push together, the place was unimaginable without him.

It was decided to ask the Cullens for assistance, both in retrieving him and in protecting Forks and La Push during his absence. I was going to have to stay behind to act as the stand-in Alpha, but Quil would go on the recovery trip. I went to the corner store on the Rez, and phoned Carlisle at his residence.

"Hello. Carlisle Cullen speaking."

"Hello Carlisle. I'm sorry to disturb you, but this is Levi Uley speaking."

I was hoping that the mind reader had never told Carlisle about the thoughts I had of killing him. He didn't hang up on me so that was a start. "Yes, Levi, to what do I owe the _pleasure_ of this call?"

Oh, no. He was pissed at me. "I know this is a lot to ask of you, Carlisle, but I would like to meet you at the treaty line, with your family, to discuss a request the Elders of our tribe would like to make of you."

He thought about it for a minute. I wondered whether the line had dropped out but then he said "Is this about Ephraim?"

I had to admit that it was. "Yes Carlisle, we need your help with him."

He sighed. "Alright then, we will meet you all there in an hour, if that's convenient for you."

"Yes that's fine. See you then, and thank you for agreeing to come." I loathed Carlisle, he was a Cold One, and so those words had cost me dearly. But I had to forget myself and put the tribe first, or Ephraim would be lost to us.

An hour later, we arrived at the treaty line to find the Cullens waiting for us. I brought Quil and some of the tribal Elders with me; the ones who were prepared to spend time in the company of a Cold One. It was a lot to ask, the fear of them for those of our kind was deep-seated, visceral, and constantly reinforced by the retelling of our legends.

Since I had asked for this meeting, I spoke first. "Carlisle, I know I don't have to explain to you how traumatic the loss of his wife and children has been for Ephraim. He has phased, and run away; probably to Canada and maybe beyond, and we cannot hope to recover him unless we travel there by truck."

Carlisle's response was pointed. "And my reason for trying to save a man who wanted me reduced to a pile of ash would be...what?"

I thought about his reply carefully before answering. "Ephraim is the heart, soul and brains of our treaty. If he dies, the treaty does as well. And if that happens, the price of your continued presence in Forks would need to be paid in our blood, because as the new Alpha I would not feel bound to respect an agreement **not **made by me. Your choice, Carlisle."

Of course they had the numerical advantage, I wasn't stupid; but Carlisle and Esme were pacifists, they weren't known for their fighting abilities. And two mated pairs were more distractible than four independent fighters. If it came to that, I gave Quil and I a decent chance of killing them; if ending the existence of a creature that was already dead could be thought of as killing.

Carlisle made a moue, displaying his distaste for me and my lack of diplomatic skills. But he wasn't silly, and that strange need he had to remain here was still guiding his decisions. "If we agree to help you with this, what is it that you need?"

I had already thought about that. "I need an undertaking from you that the treaty will be maintained whilst our numbers are reduced, and that your family will continue to protect the people of Forks. If you would like to provide more concrete assistance than that, we could use your medical skills on the trip as we believe that by the time we find Ephraim, he will be very weak and ill."

I knew it wasn't an easy choice for Carlisle. Any compassion he felt towards Ephraim was tempered, not only by the hostility he had shown to Carlisle, but also by his reluctance to leave his coven unguarded. Coven, not family; I might use the term in conversation but that was not how I saw them or ever would. In that respect he was much like us, and for the same reason. The distrust was mutual. And he would be leaving behind his wife and two relatively new vampires. Emmett could certainly hold his own in a fight, but his control wasn't good.

I spoke again. "I know it's a big decision for you to make. May I at least have your assurance on the protection of our peoples? It would be hard for any of us to leave La Push without that at the very least. As far as the other request goes, the rescue party will be leaving La Push at first light tomorrow. If you decide to come too then meet them at the intersection of La Push Road and US 101. If you aren't there they'll go on without you."

He nodded. "We'll go home now and discuss what we want to do. You have my word that no harm will come to the people of La Push or Forks in your absence."

It wasn't ideal, but it would have to do.

EphPOV

I opened my eyes, and looked around me. I didn't really know where I was, but I was sure that I was somewhere in Canada, maybe the Kootenay Rockies, maybe not. I didn't even know how far north or west I was. I was hungry, and so I found a little food, drank from a stream, and kept running.

I would run if it killed me, I would run _until _it killed me. I set off again, heading north; into places no shape shifter wolf had ever been, into the wilderness.

Running... running... trying to escape.

QPOV

The next morning, as we emerged onto the highway, there was Carlisle by the side of the road waiting patiently for us. I had only half expected him to be there, perhaps the healer side of him overrode the vampire side.

We stopped for him, and he swung up into the back of the pickup truck. I hadn't said anything, but as he smelled as rank to us as wolves did to him, it wasn't surprising that he kept his distance.

The trip down and out of the peninsula and north towards Canada was uneventful. Most of us were afraid of what we would find at the end of our trip, and avoided talking about it. As much as I hated the Cullens, I almost wished that Edward wasn't still away at college; without his ability to read minds, we were going to have to track Ephraim the normal way, and hope that he was phased.

At some point we were also going to have to work out which direction to travel in once we reached the Canadian border. My only idea about what to do then was to phase, tune in, and hope that I could reach out to him; that he wasn't human, or out of range, or dead.

It seemed to me that he would have just started running north and kept going, so we kept to the western side of British Columbia, and drove north. Once we were a couple of hours past the border I decided to stop the truck, phase and try to tune in to Ephraim's thoughts.

They were there, just, but the territory he seemed to be in from his thoughts was much wilder than I was expecting. And he was still running; I was beginning to despair of ever catching up to him. Back in human form, I described it to everyone, and Carlisle said it sounded more like he was heading towards somewhere in the Yukon Territory. Clearly, Ephraim hadn't paid too much attention to where he was running. So we got back in the truck, and set off again.

We drove for hours, but never saw him, and the checks I kept making didn't really help us to work out where he was. He was acting on instinct, just surrendering to his wolf; eating when he needed to, but never enough to sustain him, sleeping hardly at all, and just constantly running. All we could do was follow him, which we did for two or three days, stopping at motels along the way for a few hours of much needed sleep.

Eventually we reached Whitehorse. I was amazed that he might have made it this far, but the spur to his flight from La Push was a strong one, and he had given in completely to it. I checked again, and his thoughts were louder, as if he was closer by. Carlisle and I set off to find Ephraim; the first time that I knew of that a vampire and a werewolf had run **anywhere** together. The others stayed behind to set up our camp.

As I ran towards some denser woods, I heard groaning, and followed the sound. On the other side of a fallen log was Ephraim, lying on his side, weak and thin looking, but alive.

His breathing was shallow, and it looked like he hadn't eaten much for days. His paws were bloody and torn, and his coat was matted. Carlisle opened his bag and knelt down beside him.

"Well, I'm not a vet but Ephraim's clearly in a bad way. We need to get him back to camp and treat his wounds then build his strength back up. Would it be better if he went back phased or human?"

I thought about that, but the answer was far from obvious. As a wolf, he was too heavy for us to carry, but he was also too weak to transform on his own. Just then Carlisle had an idea.

"Why don't we find a log longer than Ephraim, tie him to it upside down, hold each end of the log and walk out? Of course you can't do that as a wolf, you'll have to change back."

It wasn't the most elegant solution, but it worked. Some hours later we emerged from the forest back at the camp, where we untied Ephraim and placed him on a mattress of sorts made of bracken and leaf litter.

Carlisle set to work treating his injuries and rehydrating him, and eventually, after some hours, Ephraim lifted his head and looked around. He rose up onto his haunches, shuddered, and re-emerged as a human. He looked around at his surroundings, and then at us gathered around him. Slowly, he gathered his thoughts, and then he finally spoke. "Where am I?"

I answered him, as gently as I could. "Ephraim, we're in the Yukon Territory. You ran to Whitehorse, and beyond. I'm amazed you didn't end up in Alaska."

He blinked, and looked at me. "That's not possible."

As serious as things were, I had to smile. "Oh, it's possible all right. I don't know how long it took you, and what state you've been in, but you did run here. That was then, Ephraim, this is now; you need to get well enough to come home again."

He looked at me with his brown eyes, and I could see in them the pain and despair he had been feeling. "Why? What purpose does it serve to have me come back? I want to be free of this pain Quil; you don't know how much it is torturing me."

"I know what you've been through, Ephraim, but think of your people, your tribe, La Push. We need you, the Quileute aren't the same without you there."

He shrugged. "Yes I know, but I don't know if I can be that person anymore."

It was gut-wrenching to see him so completely lost. And I had no real answers for him; only he could decide whether he was willing to return home and take up the mantle of Alpha again. I tried one last time.

"Tell me Ephraim, do you think you're honoring the memory of your wife and daughters properly by running off like a coward and leaving the world behind?"

He turned to me and his eyes flashed with anger, the most intense emotion I'd seen from him since we found him. Good! I wanted him to respond, it didn't matter how, anything was better than this shell of a man who wanted to give up on his life.

"I am not a coward!"

"Aren't you? You've been running from your people for days, your wife and children lay unburied waiting for your return. What would you call it then?"

His shoulders sagged, and he looked as if he had the weight of the world on them. "At least give me the chance to grieve for my loss before I take on the job of being Alpha again."

That wasn't a problem. "Of course, take all the time you need."

He nodded. "I'll come back with you, but I'd like to rest a while before we go. It's getting late, I'm going to sleep tonight as a wolf and then we can leave in the morning." And with that, Ephraim lay down and then the man was gone again, to be replaced by his wolf.

LPOV

More than a week after they set off, Quil, Carlisle, the Elders and one very bedraggled Alpha returned to La Push. I was so relieved to see Ephraim again that I broke into a run, keen to hand back the Alpha reins to him.

Prematurely, as it turned out. He looked at me, shook his head, and went inside his house, shutting the door firmly behind him.


	10. Chapter 10

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**A/N: "According to the Selective Service in 1942, at least 99 percent of all eligible Indians, healthy males aged 21 to 44, had registered for the draft." Extract from "Native Americans in World War II" by Thomas D. Morgan**

CHAPTER 9

1942

EphPOV

Six years.

Six years the Cullens had been living near Forks.

Six years that we had been phasing, running our treaty lines, and postponing the next chapter of our lives, so that we could concentrate on protecting the people of La Push.

I was tired of it. I knew that Levi had never wanted this treaty to start with, and I was beginning to think that his choice of killing or driving away the Cullens might have been the better option. Not for the first time, I was second guessing myself, questioning my judgment, and wondering what I could have done better.

In the past six years, there had been little vampire activity near the Reservation. Although I hadn't known of it at the time that the treaty was drawn up, vampires were territorial and the presence of the Cullens kept all but the most persistent human drinkers away from the peninsula.

It was ironic then, that when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941, endangering the life and liberty of every American far more than any vampire ever could; Levi Quil and I weren't able to do anything about it. We registered for the draft, everyone had to; but we weren't called up. That was a relief as none of us would ever pass a medical exam; our elevated body temperatures would raise too many questions, as would our other attributes. So we encouraged our fellow Quileute to volunteer or register, and some did; but we were confined to the Rez, helping the war effort in other ways.

The second anniversary of my wife's death had passed; and we had reburied both her and the twins according to tradition. My grief over their passing had been so overwhelming in the beginning that I doubted I could ever function again; even now there were days when the pain of loss felt acute, as though it had happened only yesterday, but gradually it was lessening until it was more like a dull ache that I carried around with me every day. I lived my life one day at a time, raising Bill as well as I knew how; but without his mother it was difficult and my duties as Alpha meant that he spent a lot of time with babysitters.

And Edward Cullen had returned from College, sporting a degree in medicine, or so I had heard. It hadn't taken him long but then he was a vampire, nothing was hard for them. I didn't doubt that Carlisle's resources would keep him from the draft; his supposed age was 17 even if his real age was much more than that, but like me his inhumanity would be obvious to an armed forces doctor.

The relationship between my pack and the Cullens had never really recovered from the early tensions their behaviour had caused. Losing my wife just made it worse. I knew that Carlisle was not to blame for that, but the memory of him there and not saving her, stung me. It was a reminder of my own failings and they were many.

We patrolled our territory as they did theirs. We met with them from time to time to iron out issues that cropped up. We got on with our lives. Levi and Quil married and had children, I remained without a wife because in my mind no woman could replace the one I'd had. We became so used to the peace and quiet of La Push and Forks that even though our existence proved that supernatural beings were a reality; we had walled our minds off from the implications of it.

Until the day that Quil smelled some sickly sweet scents whilst on patrol. And they didn't belong to the Cullens. I was at home, sleeping after my last patrol. A loud and insistent howl woke me up, and I quickly made my way out of the house and into the woods, phasing as I ran. Once phased, I could communicate with Quil and what I saw in his mind caused all of my senses to go into a heightened state of alert.

Just then Levi phased and I gave them both instructions. I told them to remain phased and protect the Reservation. It was unclear how many Cold Ones there were, but there were at least one or two, maybe more. Bearing in mind the treaty, and the possibility that they might be friends of the Cullens, I didn't want to take action that was premature or that might get us into trouble with Carlisle. So in my role as Alpha, I decided that it had better be me who went to meet with the Cullens at the treaty line.

I phased back and went to the payphone at the General Store. The Cullens' number was so well known to me now that I didn't need to look it up, so I just dialled it and Carlisle answered. "Hello, Carlisle Cullen speaking".

I thought it best to get straight to the point. "Hello Carlisle, Ephraim Black here, I need to talk to you in person. Would you be able to bring your family and come to the treaty line as soon as possible?"

He replied, "Edward is at home here with me, but Esme and the other two are hunting. The two of us will see you at the treaty line in half an hour".

I thanked him and set off for the line. Carlisle was as good as his word. Half an hour later as I waited for them Carlisle and Edward approached from the direction of their house. Meeting them alone was a risk, but not as much of a risk as having the three of us come here and leaving the Rez unprotected. Since I was aware of Edward's gift, to save time I replayed in my mind the images I had seen in Quil's.

Edward turned to Carlisle. "The wolves have come across some fresh, unfamiliar vampire scents. There are at least two and possibly three."

Carlisle nodded, and then spoke. "So I suppose you have asked us to come here to find out whether we know these vampires or not, is that right?"

I replied "Yes, that's right. We don't know if these Cold Ones are friends of yours, or what their intentions towards the Rez or Forks are. If they're just passing through, then that is one thing, but as you know we won't tolerate threats to our people."

Carlisle looked at Edward, who shook his head. "I am not aware of any vampires who might be planning to visit us, especially human drinkers. Believe me; we are not here because we want visitors. What measures have you taken to this point?"

"Quil and Levi are patrolling the treaty lines and protecting the Reservation. If the Cold Ones stray onto the Rez, they will be killed. There is nothing I can do about that. But I am here speaking to you to give you the opportunity to find out who they are and take other action if need be."

Carlisle thought for a minute, and then spoke. "My suggestion is that I send Edward to track the vampires together with Quil. They can start in the area where the scents were found, and go from there. You and Levi can go back to La Push, I'll go home and wait for Esme in case they go there, and I'll send Emmett and Rosalie to Forks once they're back from their hunt."

His solution was a good one, but I needed to know how to stay in contact with them. "What will you do once you know who they are? We won't be able to get in touch with you."

"I realize that it is difficult for us to contact you. If the vampires are going to threaten La Push, take them out. If you need backup, howl to alert Esme and I and we will be there to prevent them from doubling back. It's not ideal, but we need to act quickly and it's the best we can do for now."

Having worked out what we were going to do, we went our separate ways. Carlisle back to his house, Edward to catch up with Quil, and I to start patrolling with Levi. I phased on the fly to let them both know what had been decided; Quil wasn't thrilled to be working with Edward, but he would make a better fist of it than Levi.

Levi and I took up separate ends of the Rez patrol. There weren't enough of us to plug all of the gaps; we had to trust that Quil and Edward would find the Cold Ones and kill them if they had to.

EdPOV

As I ran off to find Quil, I had to smile at Ephraim and those thoughts of his. He lived in fear of a call up to go to war; what he didn't know was that Carlisle had made some phone calls and got us all out of serving. It would do us no good at all to have the authorities sniffing around Forks, and the discovery of shape shifters might blow our secret too. So he got his lawyer Jenks Sr. on the job, and the little problem was made to go away, but without telling Ephraim. Ephraim never would have accepted a get-out clause like that; he just thought his number wasn't up yet.

A few miles down the road I was able to hear Quil's thoughts. He was pacing up and down near where the boundary line met the La Push road, impatiently swishing his tail and growling. He'd smelled vampire, and he was anxious to get going, find the source of the smell and deal with it.

There was no need for him to talk to me; I just read his mind and nodded to indicate that I was ready to follow him. So we set off in the direction of the spot where Quil had found the scents, and before too long I'd come across them. They weren't known to me, but there was always the chance that Carlisle knew them. He was 300 years old, I was 40.

The best chance to find out who they were and what they were here for, it seemed to me, was to try to stay downwind of them and read their minds before they became aware of our presence. It was a delicate balancing act as they would smell Quil easily, and know that he wasn't human. But as my power worked at a distance I suggested to Quil that he lag behind me a bit while I tuned into their thoughts.

After running for another five minutes or so, I got close enough to do that. And the result of that wasn't good. There was no chance that these vampires could be friends of our family. Their thoughts were full of feeding, blood and killing; and not of the animal variety. Worse still, they were turning and heading straight for La Push.

I turned to Quil. "The vampires you found, they're strangers, there's no way that they are here to see Carlisle. And they're headed for La Push, let Ephraim and Levi know so they can guard their people. We need to get moving."

We took off; he wasn't the fastest of the wolves, but I was the fastest vampire and I soon outpaced him. The treaty line was fast approaching and I was concerned about crossing it; but the threat from these trespassing vampires outweighed the need to obey our agreement with Ephraim.

We reached them just as La Push came into view. Any minute now, they'd be on the Reservation and the lives of the Quileute would be at risk. As a vampire, that shouldn't have bothered me too much, but the time I'd spent as a vigilante had convinced me that taking human lives was wrong. My father would expect me to save these people, so we pressed on.

Quil peeled off, and ran in behind them, I ran to cut them off from the Reservation. Finally I got my first look at them. They were scruffy looking, and didn't have shoes; in other words typical nomads. Their clothes would have come from someone they'd drained. So I felt better about what we were about to do.

I saw a blurry movement up ahead of me, and ran to meet it. The sound of our bodies colliding was like a clap of thunder; but because I knew what I was running towards and the other vampire didn't, I had the advantage. We sprang apart; he lunged for me but I read the move in his head, jumped out of the way, and took his arm off as I went, tossing it aside.

I could hear Quil launch himself at one of the vampires, a skinny female with the bright red eyes of a newborn. She'd be powerful, but not too skilled. I was sure that Quil would deal with her, but I was worried because I had smelled three scents on the trail, and there were only two vampires here.

Just then Ephraim arrived. I left him to deal with the vampire that I'd clashed with; he was off balance and looking for his arm to reattach. Running off I could hear the metallic sound of vampire flesh being torn asunder by Quil and Ephraim's teeth. It would be minutes of work for them to finish that and burn the pieces; those vampires were no longer the threat.

The third vampire was close to a house on the edge of the Reservation when I caught him. He was older and smarter than the others, and understood that a place as remote as this might provide him with some easy pickings food-wise. He just didn't know that this was a place where the supernatural was commonplace.

He smelled me before he saw me; his shock that there was another vampire around was clear, but he was barely able to register my unusual eye color before I attacked. I ran towards him, and he feinted and dodged my leap. I turned, and ran at him again, and when I saw in his thoughts that he was going to leap over me I leaped myself, twisted in mid-air and tore his head off.

He crumpled to the ground and lay twitching, his hands reaching out to try to find the head, which was glaring at me as I held it.

I sniffed the air, and looked in the distance to see a column of purple smoke. Behind me was La Push, I had cut this vampire off only half a mile from his intended targets. He was still dangerous if his parts were ever reassembled, and I didn't have any matches with me. I hadn't thought to take them to a meeting with the wolves. Who would? We were flammable, they weren't.

Just then the three wolves all arrived, having phased back into their human forms. Ephraim looked at my hands and lifted an eyebrow, smiling strangely. "Would you like some help with that?"

The vampire couldn't speak, but his nose wrinkled in disgust. It was probably the only thing keeping him from silently screaming. Ephraim was not in a mood to grant mercy to this "creature" as he thought of it. The mere idea that you could decapitate one of us, and not kill us outright was an affront to him.

He took it from my hands, and started walking in the direction of the smoke column. Quil and Levi dismembered the rest of the body, snapping off arms and legs, then picked up the pieces, and followed him.

They tossed them into the flames; all except for the head. Ephraim spoke to it. "You'll never know who I am, but your kind will learn that when you come to La Push with evil intent, you don't leave. I hope you enjoy the flames, they're a taste of what awaits you in Hell."

And with that, he walked over to the fire, placed the head in the middle of it, and bowed his head in prayer, giving thanks for their deliverance.

He turned to me. "I haven't always thought very highly of you, in some ways you seem like a boy to me; but you did a good job today and I'm thankful for it. There won't be any consequences for you crossing the treaty line, if you hadn't some of my people might have died today. Go now with our appreciation and convey my thanks to Carlisle as well. We're going to go and see our Elders and let them know what's happened; you should do the same with your family."

As nicely as he had spoken, it was a dismissal and I knew it. No vampire would dare to stay in Ephraim's territory one moment longer than he was welcome; to do so was to invite the end meted out to our uninvited guests today. I shook his hand, nodded, turned and started to run back to the house.

When I arrived back at the house Carlisle and Esme were waiting for me. Rose and Emmett were still out, checking the area around Forks no doubt.

As I ran up the drive, I could hear their thoughts. Carlisle was mildly concerned, but giving the interlopers the benefit of the doubt, as usual. _"Haven't seen those vampires, yet, it's strange that they'd come past here and not notice our scents or drop in."_

Esme was running around trying to straighten the house just in case they were friendly. Always the perfect hostess.

So when I arrived through the door dishevelled and smelling of vampire, wolf and the forest, their heads swivelled and their eyes widened to take in the sight of me. Not my best moment.

Esme darted over to me. "Edward, what has happened to you? Are you alright?"

I moved away from her slightly. No need for her to wear my mess. "Yes Esme, Carlisle, I'm perfectly fine. But Quil, Ephraim and I had to fight the vampires that we found. They were human drinkers, and were headed for the Reservation."

Carlisle moved a bit closer. "I don't recognise any of the scents that are on you, so if the vampires were red-eyed, Forks is better off without them. You did the right thing, we're proud of you."

It was good to hear that. Taking the life of a fellow vampire was never an easy thing to do, but our secret had to stay safe, or we could never remain here. I passed on Ephraim's thanks to Carlisle, excused myself and went upstairs to clean up.

EphPOV

As I walked up to the meeting room, where I thought I might find some of the Elders, I could see that a crowd had gathered. Our fight with the Cold Ones hadn't been witnessed by anyone, so I didn't think they were there for that.

I excused myself, moved past the people gathered waiting, and entered the meeting room. The Chief was there, as well as some Elders and he gave me an appraising look.

"You look as though you've had a busy day, Ephraim. Anything we should know about?"

As I went to answer him, he sniffed the air. He had once been a wolf but had long since stopped phasing. "There were red-eyed Cold Ones passing through the area. They headed this way, maybe to try to drain some of our people, so our pack and Edward Cullen ended them and burned the pieces."

They were surprised to hear that. "Edward Cullen? Why him?"

I wanted to know why the crowds were here but I knew I wouldn't get an answer until I dealt with this. "We saw him and Carlisle at the treaty line, because we needed to find out if they were known to them. Edward tracked them with Quil, read their minds and the decision was made to kill them. He saw them running towards the Rez and cut them off. He took the head off one of them, I've never seen anything like it."

They looked at each other. "So he crossed the treaty line."

This was becoming annoying. "Yes, but a treaty breach is nothing to the loss of life there might have been otherwise. I'm the Alpha, these are my choices to make in the moment, not yours."

The Chief glared at me. "You're the Alpha, not the Chief, your decisions can still be reviewed by us."

Oh, I'd had enough of this. "Fine, review them; it won't make the Cold Ones any less dead or Edward Cullen any less safe in his home. But why don't you tell me what's going on here?"

"We've had news from the military authorities. A couple of our young men who joined up have been killed in action in the Pacific. We're waiting to get some more details on who they were and what happened to them."

That explained it. It might be the first of La Push's war casualties, but it wouldn't be the last. I just wished I could do something to help.


	11. Chapter 11

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

1943

EphPOV

The war was beginning to have an effect on La Push and Forks. Men were being called up, going to war and in some cases, not coming back. Our tribal lands had become part of the 13th Naval District's Coastal Lookout System with sites on James Island and in La Push.

There were shortages of a lot of things; food, supplies and material for clothing among other things. Being a coastal tribe we could go fishing, but even in La Push we went without.

As a tribe, we all worked together and there weren't always the lines between men's work and women's work that there had been. Even in hokwát towns, women were leaving their homes and going into the workforce.

Men who couldn't go to war found other ways to contribute. I was still puzzled that I hadn't been called up, and wondered from time to time whether there had been some kind of intervention to prevent that from happening. But it seemed strange to me that Carlisle, and who else could it be, would exert himself on my behalf.

There were now a small number of widows on the Rez. We would always take care of our own, but life was hard for them. A medal for valor didn't pay the bills. There was one that I felt a particular responsibility for; she had been married to my cousin Edmund. He was a decorated war hero but had not returned to his family; they survived on handouts and help from the tribe.

It seemed to me that there might be something I could do to make both of our lives easier. I went to see her, walking to her house and knocking on the door. She answered it, and seemed surprised that I was there. "Hello Ephraim, it's nice to see you here, please come in."

She stood aside and I entered the house. "Thank you Amelia, it's a pleasure to see you, how have you been?"

She indicated towards a chair, and I sat down, as did she. One look at her tired and drawn face and her chapped and rough hands told me that she had to work very hard to keep things together. This conversation was going to be awkward, but I had no alternative if I was going to sort things out for the two of us.

She looked up at me, assessing whether or not my question was genuine, or merely small talk. Once she had decided that I meant to ask her the question; she broke down, shuddering, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'll be honest with you Ephraim; things are really tough for me right now. I miss Edmund so much, I know he gave his life for a good cause, but that doesn't help me much."

She was so vulnerable; however as much as I wanted to hug her and try to lessen her pain, I had to tread carefully. She didn't know me that well yet, and might not want me to touch her. But I was curious about my cousin; I didn't know where he'd served. "I know it's hard for you to talk about him, but I'd like to know; which area of the war was he engaged in?"

She sighed, twisted her hands in her lap, and continued. "He was a pilot; he was killed by the Japanese at the Battle of the Coral Sea."

I'd heard of it. "Was that the battle in which aircraft carriers were involved on both sides but didn't fire a shot?"

She nodded. "That's right. The aircraft that were based on the carriers did all of the work, and a lot of airmen died. Edmund's plane was shot down."

There was no answer to that. Edmund had died in the service of his country but from Amelia's point of view the war must have seemed very far away and unimportant to her daily life; the reason for her grief and loneliness.

It was time to get to the point. "I'm very sorry for your loss, Amelia, and I have come here to see for myself how you are, and to put a proposition to you. I feel a great responsibility to you as you're Edmund's widow, and I would like to do more for you than just help you out from time to time. Don't think I haven't noticed that you're proud and spurn most offers of assistance."

She narrowed her eyes. "I don't like charity."

That was understandable. "None of us do, but this is a tribe, we help our own. And my offer won't require you to accept any charity from me whatsoever."

She seemed reassured by that. "I'm listening, Ephraim."

I got up and walked over to her, picking up her hand and kissing it; then sitting down by her side. She was taken aback by that but made no move to pull away from me. "Quileute tradition for a long time was that a widower would marry his late wife's sister. I have no use for that tradition; my late wife was Makah, not Quileute. But you were married to my cousin, and I feel the need to take care of you for him."

"That's nice of you Ephraim, but I'm a grown woman, I can take care of myself you know", Amelia countered.

"Maybe, but wouldn't it be better if you didn't have to?" I didn't want to get into an argument about what she could do; that wasn't the point.

I got off the chair, turned to face her, and dropped to one knee. "So I would like you to marry me Amelia. In saying that I realise that you don't love me at present, and maybe never will; but perhaps love could grow in time. I have the deepest affection for you as a cousin and hope to grow closer to you as your husband. Will you say yes?"

Amelia blinked, her eyes widening. Clearly of all the possible reasons for my visit this wasn't one she'd expected. "You want to marry me? Of all the reasons for you to come here I never thought marriage would be one. What about Bill? And my children?"

"They'll be raised together as siblings. I wouldn't have made you this offer if I wasn't prepared to raise your children as my own. And naturally, Bill will come to see you as his mother in time; he has no memory of his own."

I wasn't looking for love again, I didn't believe that there would ever be anyone else for me; but if I were to marry Amelia I could provide for her properly and at the same time give William a mother. It seemed to me as good an idea for surviving this time as any.

She nodded. "That's good to know. But I need time to think about it. May I give you my answer in a day or two?"

That was perfectly fine with me. "Certainly. Take as long as you need; it's a major decision. My tribal duties are onerous; I won't be like most of the husbands here at La Push. And you don't know me that well yet."

"I know you well enough to know that you mean what you say."

She stood up. I took her by both hands and raised them to my mouth, kissing them again in farewell. "That I do. Until later then; I'll see myself out."

She smiled then, a smile that lit up her whole face, and smoothed out the lines of trouble and care. "Yes, later. I look forward to that."

I turned, walked to her door, opened it and left to go on patrol. As Alpha, I could shut off my thoughts from the others when I needed to; and so I kept my mind free of my visit and concentrated on the sights and smells of the forest, running swiftly and silently on my well-trodden path.

CPOV

Emmett and Rosalie had started High School this year. It was a nine-day wonder that these seemingly older children wouldn't be at college; but as I explained to the town gossips, I'd adopted them and they'd failed to graduate from High School the first time around.

I'd been careful not to let them spend time in Forks or any other town for some years; Rosalie's iron determination never to drink from a human was one thing, but Emmett worried me. He'd had one accident already with a singer, and I had wanted to make sure that his control was complete before I signed him up.

He wasn't academic or determined like Edward; I suspected that if he went to college he might bounce from one course to another, but a High School Diploma would be nice for him to have.

I'd worked an early shift at the hospital and had come home to "sleep" before going back there again overnight. We were short-staffed; the war had affected Forks the same as any other town with men leaving to go to fight and some women heading for the factories or ancillary services. And when the men came home some of them were horribly injured; it was debatable sometimes whether their lives would be worth living now, so changed were they.

There was so much that needed to be done and the facilities here weren't up to it. A germ of an idea was beginning to form in my mind; of spending some of my money on renovating the hospital and maybe adding a wing onto it to help with rehabilitation and other medical needs.

And the experience of delivering Ephraim's baby girls had never left me, thanks to my vampire memory. Some wives were finding their husbands so altered by their injuries that they'd never have children; it seemed so unjust that some women lost their babies and their lives whilst others never had the chance to become mothers at all.

As I sat on the sofa musing about these things, Rosalie and Emmett walked in from school. I looked up. "How was it?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "There are so many teachers leaving to fight or work elsewhere, there won't be a school soon. Our science teacher left today, he was called up."

Edward was in his room, I could hear the strains of his favorite "Clair de Lune" playing on his radio-phonograph. "Edward, please come downstairs, I'd like to talk to you."

I hadn't raised my voice, vampire hearing could be useful. Edward switched off the recording and wandered downstairs. "What did you want to talk to me about, Carlisle?"

Since returning from college, Edward had been at a loose end, apart from his vampire hunting activities that is. I had been wondering what else he might do, and now I had an idea. "Edward, Rosalie says that the science teacher has left Forks High School for the war. Since you're not busy and have a medical degree, why don't you offer your services?"

Of course Edward had already picked that thought out of my head. I could see that from the expression on his face when he entered the lounge room. I had spoken for the benefit of Rose and Emmett, the latter of whom was smiling strangely and trying to keep himself in check.

After a minute or two, Edward spoke. "Is that wise, Carlisle? They're humans, I'm a vampire. I thought we were keeping a low profile; there's nothing low profile about school teaching."

That was a ridiculous argument. "You went to the school for two years Edward. Rose and Emmett are going there now. It's not as if these people haven't heard of you, and you would be buying for this family some goodwill in the town. Surely you've noticed the looks we're getting from people who wonder why we haven't enlisted."

Edward looked over at Emmett and then back at me. "You expect me to teach this jokester Biology? What did I ever do in this or any other life, that I should be sentenced to that fate?"

It was true that since the idea had only just occurred to me, I hadn't thought about all the issues with it. "I'm sure that if I went to the school with the idea, there would be a way to ensure that you weren't teaching your siblings. I still think it's a good idea for other reasons. Will you at least think about it?"

As usual, Rosalie had her own take on it. "I'd think that teaching at Forks High School has to be a better deal than going there as a student. It's taken Emmett eight years to get the control he needs to even be there and he spends all day glaring at the pimply-faced boys who all want to ask me out. He can't do what he wants to do with them because he'd be suspended or worse."

Edward looked pained, and I was not having that. "Don't pinch your nose Edward, I'm not asking you to do anything out of the ordinary. We live forever; what were you expecting to do, just go to school and college year in, year out? That's completely ridiculous; you need to start living the life of a man at some point."

He seemed taken aback by that comment. Once again, my years of spoiling him as my first companion had probably borne the wrong fruit. No time like the present to fix that. "Look, I'm doing as many shifts at the hospital as I can and not appear inhuman; Esme is helping the Ladies' Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars with their activities, Rosalie does some car repairs in her free time. Even Emmett has been doing some labouring on the weekends. We're Americans first and vampires second, we need to pitch in for our country, and if it stops people from asking questions then so much the better."

"Alright, I'll do it. But I hope you don't expect me to keep it up once the war's over. I don't want to be a teacher for all eternity."

I had to smile at that. "Nobody expects you to be, I'm sure that teaching a room full of humans would be torture for a vampire. At least in a hospital you see them one at a time. We'll go there in the morning and offer your services to the school."

EphPOV

I'd been going about my business for a few days now since proposing to Amelia, and she hadn't answered me yet. I knew it was a big decision for her; but I liked to think that marriage to me wasn't such a bad deal, so I was a bit put out.

It was getting difficult to shield my thoughts from Levi and Quil as well. Quil was always respectful of my personal life; but if Levi found out I'd proposed to Amelia and not received an answer yet, he'd remind me of it constantly.

I decided to go back to her house and see what the problem might be. I met her on the way; she was coming to see me.

"Amelia! It's so nice to see you. I was just on my way to visit you again," I said, trying to cover my nervousness with a show of bravado.

She smiled. "You've been very patient Ephraim, but I've taken long enough with this decision. Since we're near your home why don't we go there and I'll tell you what I've decided."

That sounded like a great idea to me. I fell into step beside her, and we chatted to each other along the way back to my place. I opened the door for her, and showed her inside. "Would you like anything to eat or drink?"

"No thanks. I really shouldn't stay too long, as I've left the children at home with a friend. I just wanted to let you know that I've thought about your offer and decided to accept it. It took me some time to make my decision; not because I don't want to be married to you, but because I wasn't sure that it was fair of me to tie you to a woman you don't love."

That was a relief. "Amelia, there is nobody on this earth who has the power to make me do anything I don't want to. Your fears are groundless; I'm looking forward to spending my life with you. I know this is awkward, but may I hold you?"

She nodded, and I took her into my arms and held her for a while, before lifting her chin up and kissing her. "There doesn't have to be a quick marriage you know, now that we've decided on it you can take as long as you need to get to know me before the wedding."

She thought about it for a minute. "That's probably a good idea Ephraim, there's not just us you know, the children need to get used to each other as well."

"In that case I'll leave it up to you to decide when the wedding should be. We'll announce to the tribe that we're engaged, and take it from there. You won't regret this Amelia, when I said I'd take care of you I meant it."

And I did.

**A/N: This story has been nominated for Best Other Non-Canon Pairing in the Non-Canon Awards - **

** . . Voting closes in three days. If you like it, I'd appreciate a vote! :)**


	12. Chapter 12

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.**

**A/N:****I have been asked by more than one reader when I plan to return to 2005 in this story. The simple answer to that is, when I am able to. You can't have a story with Bella in it when in the story neither she nor her father has been born. That does not mean that I am going to write every little thing that happens or every year between 1936 and 2005, but it does mean that the important events need to be covered. And what is important is not always immediately obvious to the reader; it becomes so as the story progresses. **

**1944**

**EphPOV**

The engagement between Amelia and I was going well, we were getting to know each other and I thought it wouldn't be long before we could set a date. Bill was getting to know her children, and spending time at her home when I was on patrol.

As expected, Levi and Quil were surprised at what I had done; Quil expected me to either remain single or marry again for love, whereas Levi thought I should "have some fun" as he put it. Neither of them understood why I had decided to remarry; I was sure that I would never love anyone else again, who could replace my wife? So to wait for love to find me seemed futile. As for Levi's suggestion, that was abhorrent to me. I had too much respect for myself, my wife's memory and the women of La Push to behave like that.

We spent a great deal of time together, but kept our separate homes for now. I found myself taking Bill over there with me for dinner often; Amelia was a great cook, and then if I was due to go on patrol I left him there.

The only other issue that was exercising my mind was the biggest one; if and when to tell Amelia about my true nature. My wife had been Makah; informing her that I was a wolf before we were married would have broken the rules of our tribe, especially if she had then refused me and told others of her tribe the secret.

But Amelia was Quileute; she had heard the legends, she just didn't know they were true. The Chief and Elders were opposed to anyone knowing the secret apart from the Council, the pack and imprints should there be any. My wife had not been my imprint and my decision to reveal my true nature to her had caused friction between the Elders and me. Not that I cared; you couldn't have a marriage and keep a secret of that magnitude for long.

And there was no question but that Amelia should also know about me. Without that knowledge my absences on patrol might be thought of by her as something else; cheating, or criminal activity. I couldn't have that. And an idea was forming in my mind; maybe at some point the tribe as a whole should be informed that the legends were true.

It would be a big step to do that; my every instinct was to keep the secret, as I had done for more than a decade since my first phasing. But Carlisle Cullen and his family showed no sign of wanting to leave Forks; and leaving the Rez defenseless was not an option. So that meant Levi, Quil and I would have to continue phasing. And even the most unobservant among us would eventually realize that we weren't ageing.

It was better, I thought, to tell the legends again at one of our bonfires and then inform our tribe that they were true; that the descendants of Taha Aki retained the ability to become spirit warriors in the shape of a wolf. No Quileute who valued their place in the tribe would tell the secret to anyone; they wouldn't be believed anyway.

But I hadn't made a final decision about that, and even once I did, I would inevitably have to run the gauntlet of the Chief and his cohort of old men. Men, few of whom had ever phased; and those who had no longer did and hadn't for some time. Men who had no concept of how much our world had changed and what it was like to live next door to a coven of Cold Ones.

I shook my head; trying to dispel all of the plans and schemes and worries that were lodged there. Amelia had invited Bill and me over for dinner tonight, and then I was going to go on patrol; the night shift so to speak. Now that Levi and Quil had wives and families I tried to excuse them from having to come out at night, and it gave me time to think while I ran.

"Bill?" I called out.

"Yes Daddy!" he replied, running out from his room to wrap himself around my leg. He was six now, growing in front of my eyes, and so much like me. Except for his eyes, they were his mother's eyes; something that warmed my heart and broke it at the same time.

"Are you ready to go to Mrs. Clearwater's house with me? Have you washed your face and hands?"

Bill beamed his dimpled smile lighting up his whole face. "Yes I did Daddy, I'm all clean. I'm so hungry, can we go now?"

I picked him up and hugged him. "Yes we can Bill, so tell me do you want to run along beside me or ride on my back?"

"Piggyback daddy, run as fast as you can." Bill loved to ride on my back, for him it never got boring. And he never questioned why I was faster than the other Dads; I just was, and he thought that was the best thing out. If he noticed my high temperature he didn't comment on it.

We were over at Amelia's in a few minutes; the Rez wasn't large for a normal person let alone a wolf. I knocked and she let us in; Bill ran off to be with his playmates.

Later, after we had eaten, I stood up and went to Amelia and the children, hugging and kissing them all goodbye in turn. "I have to go and work now, I'll see you later. Is Bill alright to stay here until the morning?"

"Of course he is" Amelia laughed. "You always ask and the answer is always yes. Stop worrying and be on your way."

"I'll do that then" I replied. "Thank you for dinner, it was the best meal I've had since I was last here," I said, winking and heading for the door.

I strode towards the edge of the forest, looking in both directions. There was nobody around, and it was getting dark; I broke into a run, shedding my clothes, then phasing on the fly. And then I heard a piercing scream, coming from the direction of Amelia's house. I turned, Amelia was a few yards away from me; she must have followed me outside.

I dropped to the ground on my haunches, crawled slowly towards my pile of clothes and then phased back, grabbing for my pants & putting them on. I turned to face her.

"What **are** you?" Amelia demanded.

"A wolf Amelia, I've been one since I was 16."

"You expect me to marry you, and you're not even human?" Amelia was blinking furiously, as if she could rid herself of the sight she had just seen.

"I don't expect anything Amelia, marry me if you wish to, don't marry me if you don't. I am what I am, I'm a protector of this tribe, if I wasn't I wouldn't be what you see before you."

I really hoped that I could salvage this situation, but it wasn't looking good. I looked at her, it was clear that she feared me; this wasn't going to be easy. "Can we talk about this? Not now, but in a day or so?"

Although the cat was out of the bag so to speak, I needed the permission of the Council to tell her any more than that; to let her know that the legends were true. I had been lucky the first time; my supernatural side had not fazed my wife at all. But it was not to be expected that all women would be like that.

I walked towards her; she backed away. "Don't come any closer; I need to think about this. If I decide to talk to you about it I will send a message and we can meet on the beach."

"I'll wait to hear from you then. Take care, Amelia. It might be better if you go back inside now; before you came out and saw me I was about to start my shift and I still need to do that."

She looked up at me through her lashes, backing away some more and then turning and running back inside her house. I looked over near where she'd been standing and noticed a paper bag. I went and picked it up, and opened it. There was food inside; she must have decided to give me something to eat during "work". Chalk that up as another awkward subject of discussion; at work I didn't have opposable thumbs.

Later, on patrol, I checked in briefly with Levi before he phased out and went home. His jaw opened and his tongue lolled out to the side, which I supposed was his idea of a grin. _"So, Ephraim, you seem to have a little furry problem with the future Mrs Black."_

I glared at him; as much as a wolf could glare. _"It's not funny Levi; she might end our engagement over it."_

"_Relax Ephraim; she won't. We'll go to the Council like we've wanted to for years; get the monkey of total secrecy off our backs, then you can tell her. Being spotted by her might end up doing us all a favor."_

I could only hope so.

**EdPOV**

I'd been teaching at the High School for a year now. When Carlisle first suggested it, not that mere suggestion was his purpose; I thought that it would be the worst thing in the world. I couldn't imagine enjoying it at all.

So color me amazed that I found I actually liked it. The subject matter was easy of course; High School Science for a vampire with a medical degree was not a stretch by any means, but it was the interactions with the students that I most liked. And it was that fact that had shocked me the most.

I was a loner; melancholy, prone to fits of moroseness. Even though I had been a part of the Cullen family now for 25 years, in some ways I stood apart from it. But the pupils I was teaching were happy & bright, even with a war on; and their thoughts were more entertaining than a movie double feature.

They didn't know that I could read their minds; I walked a fine line between being that teacher with eyes in the back of his head and revealing too much about my powers. Of course we had been here eight years now; the townspeople were used to us, but we were careful to dole out our inhumanity in small doses.

There were benefits to my abilities though. For a start, there was no cheating in my class. It hadn't taken me long to work out who was doing it and how. I'd also untangled the factions and resentments that bubbled away under the surface in most schools; and found a way to seat everyone that worked harmoniously.

The most surprising thing of all though, was the pleasure I found in imparting my knowledge to my students. I liked to learn, all vampires with their eidetic memories were continually learning new things; but I wasn't expecting to find any enjoyment in passing that knowledge on.

My rebellious period was recent enough for me to remember treating humans as a food source; that viewpoint was anathema to me now. Not that I was anxious to befriend a human; that was just too complicated, but interacting with them got me out of the house and gave me something to contribute to the family and the town.

I knew that once the war was over, I wouldn't be needed here, but it occurred to me that I could make myself available as a fill in on occasion. That would give me the chance to teach from time to time; but since I didn't need to find my identity in work like Carlisle did, it didn't need to be a full time occupation.

"Mr. Cullen?" I looked up, aware that I had been lost in my musings for a few minutes.

"Yes, Miss Morse?"

"I've finished my experiment; what would you like me to do next?"

I looked at the wall clock; there were only a few minutes to go. "There's no need to start anything else; just pack up your things, and hand in your work when the bell goes."

The class ended; I cleaned up my desk and went home.

**EphPOV**

I asked Levi and Quil to join me at the Tribal Council's rooms. There was a risk in leaving the Rez unprotected for our meeting, but it was a marginal risk at best. We wouldn't be out of commission for long, but I needed a show of strength for the Elders.

As far as I was concerned, it was high time that our people were made aware that we were wolves; that the legends were real. My musings on the subject had solidified; now there was a reason to do something, and do it immediately. My reasons weren't wholly disinterested; Amelia's reaction to my wolf form might just have cost us a life together. She had sent me a message to meet her, but when it came to my future, I wasn't as sanguine as Levi.

After a few minutes, the two of them showed up. Quil came from the direction of his home; Levi from the forest where he had been patrolling. I looked at them both, and then asked "Are you ready for this?"

Levi nodded. "Yes, let's get on with it. Don't know why we didn't do it sooner."

I sighed. There was a time and a place for everything, and Levi was always in a rush. As inevitable as this meeting was, I would have preferred that it be in better circumstances.

"Let's go in then. Let me do the talking; unless and until I ask you something directly, or one of the Council members does."

We walked up to the meeting room; I knocked, and we were told to enter. The Chief stood, and extended his hand to me; I shook it and sat down where he indicated. He looked at the three of us and frowned; it was unusual for us all to be together and even though he didn't yet know what we were there for, he could sense that it was nothing that he would be happy to hear.

"You've come in force, Ephraim. That's not like you. Usually if you have issues to discuss with us you come on your own. I'll be honest with you, I don't like this."

"I realize that this isn't my usual practice but this is an important issue and you and the Elders need to know that the Pack is of one mind on this."

"Go on then. What is troubling the three of you?"

I took a deep breath. This was going to be tough. "We want to reveal the secret of our true natures to the tribe."

The room erupted, Elders sputtering, arguing fiercely and shouting at us. "ENOUGH!" shouted the Chief, "We will discuss this like adults, not fight like children."

He turned to me, furiously angry. "You had better have a good reason for this Ephraim. The policy as you well know has always been Council, Pack and imprints only to know the secret, and there are no imprints at the moment. I see no reason for that to change."

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you then but Amelia knows I'm a wolf. And before you say anything, I didn't tell her; she followed me outside last night and saw me phase."

That didn't mollify him, not that I thought it would. "You're getting sloppy Ephraim, if you were in the forest when you did that she wouldn't have seen you."

He was right about that, but I didn't care. "She's going to be my wife; at least I hope she is. Maybe being married to a predator isn't her style. Just when would it be alright to tell her? Or was the plan for her to think my odd hours were a sign I was up to no good?"

He bristled, but kept his temper in check. "I'm listening, Ephraim. Give us your reasoning behind this and we can maybe see a solution for your problem."

"It's not just that Amelia already knows about us. Think about it; the Cold Ones have been here for eight years now, and they've made it clear that they're not moving on. I don't know how they're doing that, but I suspect that the people of Forks have been dazzled into not noticing their differences. We can't leave the Rez unprotected when they're around; treaty or no treaty. So we are going to have to continue phasing and patrolling for the foreseeable future; and as a result of that we are not going to age. Don't you think the tribe might notice that we don't look any older? I have looked the same as I do now since I was sixteen."

"I see. Well, I think it's fair to say that we hadn't thought of that. But why tell the whole tribe? Doesn't that increase the risk that the secret will be told to outsiders?"

There was no doubt it was a fine line we were going to have to walk. "If we weave it into the legends that are told during the bonfires, and draw parallels between now and the time of Taha Aki; it might be possible to impress upon our people our role as protectors, and the need for our spirit warriors to remain a tribal secret. After all the Cullens know what we are, but nomadic Cold Ones don't."

"Should we reveal that there are Cold Ones living here? Is that what you want?"

I had no real opinion on that. On balance it might be better not to; it was implied in the treaty that secrets would be kept by both sides. "We probably shouldn't announce it; but surely our people would notice the differences between them and us. They promised not to reveal our nature; they may expect us to do the same. But you could mention the Cold Ones that came through here recently, and just point out that they exist in the world and need to be kept away from here."

The Elders turned to Levi and Quil. "Do either of you have anything to say? Do you agree with Ephraim?"

Quil answered. "Of course we do. It is getting more and more difficult for us to hide what we are; my wife for instance looks in the mirror and wonders why she gets lines on her face, and looks older than me, when she's five years younger. Not to mention my body temperature, it's so high she thinks I have fevers."

Levi added "And you know that I can sometimes find it hard to rein in my temper. I have come close to phasing in front of someone several times. If the provocation was strong enough, any one of us might lose control and phase."

The Chief looked thoughtful for a moment. "Leave it with us; we'll talk about it and let you know what we decide. In the meantime, you're not to tell anyone about this who doesn't already know. Ephraim, since Amelia has found out, you should talk to her; tell her what you need to tell her and then, if there is a bonfire, she won't be finding out the rest when everyone else does."

That was our cue to depart. "Thank you. We'll leave now; it's not good to leave the Rez unguarded for too long. Levi, Quil, let's go." And we left the meeting room, hoping to hear that our wishes would be granted.

We went our separate ways. Quil left to go on patrol, Levi went home to his family, and I went to the beach, hoping that Amelia would be waiting there for me.

She was.

**A/N: In choosing the name for Ephraim's second wife, I used a search engine. I later discovered that there was in fact an Amelia in the Quileute family trees in the Twilight Official Illustrated Guide; and that she was married to one of Ephraim Black's cousins. As such, I have changed some details in Chapter 10 to take note of this; Amelia is Amelia Ateara, the widow of Edmund Clearwater.**


	13. Chapter 13

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**A/N: Further to the above, this chapter will contain extracts from the Quileute legends; as published, and altered, by Stephenie Meyer in her book Eclipse. **

**1945**

**EphPOV**

In between seeing me phase and talking to me after the Pack's meeting with the Elders, Amelia had taken the time to think about what she was getting into.

And she had come up with more than a few questions she wanted to ask me. Amelia was more observant than the average person, or perhaps it was the time she had spent with me lately, but there were aspects of my physique that she had wondered about in the past. Now she had an explanation for them.

We sat down on the sand and began to talk. Amelia went first. "So, Ephraim, you have the ability to turn into a wolf and have done so since you were sixteen, is that right? Why do you do that?"

I had thought carefully about how I was going to broach this subject; and it would be easier to just go to the next bonfire, but that was cheating her of her right to hear the truth from me. "All direct descendants of Taha Aki have the ability to transform into a wolf. But not all ever do. For that to happen requires the presence of Cold Ones."

"What are Cold Ones?" Amelia asked.

This was the part I wasn't looking forward to explaining. "Vampires, Amelia. They're as pale as a ghost, have hard skin that reflects sunlight, and red or golden eyes. And they are extremely fast and strong. We exist to kill them."

She was thoughtful for a minute, and then jumped up, and started pacing back and forth. "Carlisle Cullen has pale skin and weird golden eyes, I thought it was some genetic thing, are you telling me he's a Cold One?"

"Yes, Carlisle is a Cold One and so is each member of his family. But as they don't prey on humans, I signed a treaty with him, they don't come to La Push and we stay off their land."

"I've heard that both Carlisle and his son - Edward is it? - have been here before."

The Rez grapevine was working well, as usual. "Yes, they were. Carlisle was here when my twins were born and Edward to fight some Cold Ones that came through here."

My mention of the twins stopped the conversation for a minute. She seemed to be thinking about what to say next; trying not to say anything to upset me. But her curiosity over the Cold Ones won out. She spoke again, "Did you fight them too?"

"Yes I did and I will do it as often as I have to; to keep the people of my tribe safe. I am the Alpha of the La Push Pack, everyone depends on me."

"I take it then, since you describe a pack, that there are others. Who are they?"

"Quil is one, and so is Levi. That's all for now, but if the Cullens don't leave maybe Bill and the sons of my pack mates will phase. I hope not though, it's a hard life."

"And when you are in your wolf form, are you still you? Can you understand what is said to you?"

I had to laugh. It would be nice to keep that a secret, but not worth the trouble I'd be in if I was caught out. And she needed to know that she could still communicate with me then. "Yes, I can understand everything that's said when I am a wolf, but of course can't speak. The three of us communicate in our minds when we are all wolves. And by the way, packed lunches aren't much use; I can't pick the sandwiches up to eat them, and wolves are carnivores."

Amelia rolled her eyes at that reminder. "I'll bear that in mind, but don't expect me to get you anything that you could pick up in your teeth; and don't tell me what you do eat out there, I don't want to know."

Thank heaven for small mercies. Being a supernatural creature was enough for her to take in; she didn't need to know I ate small woodland animals. "That's understood. Now that you know what's going on, do you want to see me phase again or not?"

"Perhaps not now, you did say that you were going to tell the tribe, weren't you?"

The Council had given the go-ahead, with reservations, and a bonfire was planned for the weekend where all would be revealed. "Yes at the bonfire this Saturday; and we will phase there, so you may see it then if you like."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Are you really? The last time I did it you ran screaming from me."

Amelia glared at me. "That time, I wasn't prepared for it. It's not every day that you find out your fiancé has fur, fangs and a tail."

"And pointy ears, don't forget the ears."

I stood, and held out my arms. She moved into my embrace, and we held each other for a while. If I could freeze time, that moment would be as good as any to stay in; between Amelia's acceptance of my wolf and the ordeal of the bonfire which was coming up. Even though Levi, Quil and I wanted and needed the tribe to know about us, it was still going to be difficult to deal with. And the price we paid for not having to endure questions about our eternal youthfulness would be even greater vigilance with the secret as far as the hokwát were concerned, and enforcement of severe consequences for any who revealed it to them.

**APOV**

It was the night of the bonfire, and I was looking forward to hearing the legends again; and trying to place them into some sort of framework, knowing now, that Ephraim actually was a wolf.

Finding that out the way I did was a shock to the system; Ephraim would never know how close I came to ending our relationship then and there, but he was a good man, and the other side of him didn't detract from that. If anything, it made everything easier to understand; he was imposing physically and in every other way, and carried an air of authority about him.

There was no doubt I was attracted to that; as a widow I had been fending for myself, and he was a powerful protector. Being in his arms was the safest place in the world; being in his heart, the sweetest.

Ephraim and Bill arrived at the house, and, together with my children, we set off for the beach. Most of the tribe had assembled by the time we arrived, and Ephraim indicated a spot on the opposite side of the fire from where the Council and Pack were going to sit as the place for me and the children.

The Chief called for silence, and began to retell the legends, beginning with the legend of the Spirit Warriors. "The Quileutes have been a small people from the beginning... but we have never disappeared. This is because there has always been magic in our blood."

He continued. "...the tribe settled in this harbor... there were others who coveted our land...we were too small to hold it... so we took to our ships... Kaheleha was the first great Spirit Chief in our history...Kaheleha used the magic to defend our land...they could not physically touch the enemy tribe, but they had other ways..."

After telling the tale of the Spirit Warriors and the tribal magic, he began to talk of Taha Aki. "He was known for his wisdom and for being a man of peace...but there was one man, Utlapa, who was not content..."

He told the legend of how, when Taha Aki had left his body behind to assume his spirit form and check for threats to the tribe, Utlapa had joined him in the spirit world and then taken over Taha Aki's body and killed his own, ruling the tribe in Taha Aki's name, and doing wrong. Taha Aki called upon a wolf to kill his body to save the tribe from Utlapa, but Utlapa hid and the wolf did not succeed.

"And then, Taha Aki...asked the great wolf to make room for him, to share...the warriors began to realize that the wolf was no ordinary animal, that there was a spirit influencing it...".

He told of how an older warrior crossed to the spirit world, and communicated with Taha Aki, but was killed by Utlapa before he could tell the others.

"Taha Aki...entered the big wolf again...anger was the anger of a man...too vast for the wolf's body...wolf shuddered, and...transformed into a man...the flesh interpretation of Taha Aki's spirit...warriors recognized him at once...more than either wolf or man...Taha Aki the Great Wolf..."

After the story of Taha Aki, his Spirit Warriors and his sons was told, the Chief motioned to Ephraim. Ephraim then began to speak.

"These stories have been passed down from generation to generation in our tribe, but what is not generally known is this; the legends are true, and all direct descendants of Taha Aki possess the ability to transform into a wolf."

He walked to the centre of the circle, as did Levi and Quil. He stood before the fire; the two others on either side of it. He looked to his left and right, nodded, then transformed, as did they. There was an audible gasp; and murmurings around the circle, some children cried and were comforted by their mothers. But eventually, everyone settled down and looked at the mythical beasts before them.

The Chief spoke again. "These are our tribe's Protectors. There is a real and present threat to our safety that they work to keep us free from; but they are not to be feared by any Quileute. They can hear and understand everything you say, even in their present form, so please do not speak ill of them. They have decided to reveal themselves to the tribe at this time; as until they decide to cease transforming, they will not age, and their youthful appearance would sooner or later have caused speculation."

With that, the wolves moved around the circle, so that our people could look more closely at them; eventually settling near their families. I had thought they would go back into human form; but of course they could not do that, they would be naked when they did.

Ephraim came around to where I sat with Bill, settled on his haunches, and looked back towards the Chief. I couldn't help it; I had to run my fingers through his fur, and play with his ears. He chuffed, and lolled his tongue out to one side of his mouth.

My children Lucy, Daniel and Peter crowded around him; patting him, climbing over him and stroking his fur. To them he was something more than just a father figure; so they didn't play too much with him, but he was patient and let them have their fun.

Bill was excited; as only a small boy can be when his father does something wonderful. He squirmed out of my grip and bounced up and down, saying "Daddy, can I get on your back?"

Ephraim moved his enormous head up and down in a kind of wolfy nod; I took that to mean it was OK, and placed Bill carefully on his father's back, saying to him "Hold on tight, you don't want to fall off."

Bill leaned down, and put his arms around Ephraim's neck; whispering in his ear. Just then the Chief spoke again.

"When I speak of a threat to the tribe, I am referring to Cold Ones. Cold Ones are not just creatures of legend; they exist in our world." He continued with the story telling, and the tale of Taha Aki and the Cold Ones.

"Many years after Taha Aki gave up his spirit wolf...trouble began in the north, with the Makahs...young women of their tribe had disappeared...blamed it on the neighboring wolves...Taha Aki...charged his oldest wolf-son, Taha Wi, with finding the true culprit..."

He described the strange sweet smell the warriors encountered, and how they did not return; and Taha Aki's trip to the Makah reservation which ended hostilities between the two tribes. And then he spoke of what happened next.

"A year later, two Makah maidens disappeared...called on the Quileute wolves at once...same sweet stink...only one came back...Yaha Uta, youngest son of Taha Aki's third wife...brought something with him...a strange, cold stony corpse that he carried in pieces..."

The Chief described the battle between the wolves and the creature; and how once it had been brought back to the tribe it tried to reassemble itself and had to be burned, and the pieces scattered. He went on "...they called it the Cold One...and lived in fear that it was not alone...the creature had a mate...seeking revenge...she saw the great wolf on the shore...when Yaha Uta lost, Taha Aki...shifted into an ancient, white muzzled wolf...the third wife had just seen her son die...her husband fought, and she had no hope he could win... grabbed a knife...plunged the knife into her own heart..."

We all knew this story by heart; the third wife's sacrifice and her sons' first transformations enabling Taha Aki to defeat the Cold One. And how Taha Aki's grief was so great he never again regained human form. It was a stirring story; and the tribe was about to learn how important its Protectors were.

In the meantime, to lessen the tension I felt at hearing how powerful and dangerous the Cold Ones were, I leaned down to Ephraim and spoke to him. "I suppose I should be grateful that I'm only going to be your second wife..."

He snorted; heads turned towards us but I didn't enlighten them as to what I'd said. The Chief looked at me with narrowed eyes, and then went on to talk about the situation in the present day.

"As I said before; all descendants of Taha Aki have the ability to transform into wolves. Not all do; the physical changes in a Quileute that allow transformation only happen in the presence of Cold Ones. And since the time of Taha Aki, no wolf pack has numbered more than three. Three seasoned warriors carrying the knowledge of how to defeat Cold Ones has always been enough to destroy them. ; they usually only travel in pairs."

The implication was obvious to all those present; Cold Ones existed, and had been close enough to La Push to cause Ephraim and his pack brothers to become wolves. The Chief confirmed this.

"We have had visits from Cold Ones in the past few years. More importantly, there is a family of Cold Ones that lives near Forks."

Elders or no Elders, that revelation was accompanied by howls of outrage from all around the circle. Ephraim growled; a deep resonant rumble that silenced the crowd immediately.

"They are not human drinkers and they do not have red eyes; as such we have signed a treaty with them and they are not to be harmed, unless they come to La Push without invitation. Likewise we cannot harm them on their land. They are Carlisle Cullen and his family. This information must not ever leave this circle; disclosure of the Cullen's nature to outsiders may have fatal consequences for us. As such any breach of tribal confidentiality will be severely punished."

He described the recent visit to the area of nomad Cold Ones; and their defeat by the Pack and Edward Cullen. Eyebrows were raised at that, but nobody questioned the role he had played. The presence of three large and obviously healthy wolves was a deterrent to questions about the Cullens' intentions towards our people.

And enough was known about the way things were done here for everyone to surmise that nothing happened that the Council in general, and Ephraim in particular, didn't want to have happen. He really was a force of nature. The bonfire concluded, and those attending all got up to leave. The wolves remained where they were.

Bill had fallen asleep on his father's back; I carefully picked him up and carried him towards my home with the other children walking beside me. I looked over my shoulder; the circle had cleared, and the three wolves had got to their feet and were trotting away in the direction of the forest. I knew that one would remain a wolf and patrol overnight; and the other two would phase back and dress under the cover of the trees.

A short while later, Ephraim opened the door and walked inside. He winked at me. "So if you are _going to be my second wife_, I take it that means that we can have our wedding; and that you won't be knifing yourself any time soon. I must say I'm relieved to hear it. You can leave the heroics to the Pack."

I didn't have a problem with that. "You have my word that I won't kill myself to protect you. And I hope that you never have to kill yourself to protect me. But I'm curious about one thing; what did Bill say to you?"

"He wanted me to keep it to myself, but if I grant his wish you'll need to know anyway. He wants to go for a ride in the forest on my back when I'm phased. Obviously, I couldn't reply to him then and there; but he needs to realize that this ability was given to me for a reason, and that as exciting as my wolf is to him, he is not a plaything. So I have not decided yet whether to agree to his request or not."

At least Bill wasn't frightened. This was his inheritance; if he was a little bit older he might have realized that in time he might become a wolf himself, but Ephraim and I would cross that bridge when, and if, we came to it. I wondered too whether my own sons would transform; but again, that wouldn't be known until they were older.

One thing at a time; our plans had been derailed and it was time to get them back on track. It was time for me to become Mrs Ephraim Black.


	14. Chapter 14

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**A/N: Going forward a year or six...**

**1950**

**EphPOV**

I was on patrol; running through the forest, my mind drifting over the past few years of my life. A luxury I could afford since things were quiet and had been for years. Amelia and I had been married for more than five years now. It was strange to me to think that we had been together for longer than my first wife and I had; but life's like that.

I was thirty-five years old; old enough to be her husband, but to an ever greater extent I didn't look as though I was. Telling the tribe about our wolves had been a calculated risk for Levi, Quil and I; so far the secret hadn't leaked because there wasn't much interaction between the Quileute and the hokwát in Forks and elsewhere.

Amelia dreaded going out in public with me though. Around La Push nobody would dare say anything; but if we went further afield she would sometimes have to endure comments about her much younger husband. I told her to look on the bright side; my looking younger than her might have been a trial, but with the twenty-five year old face went the body and she had a use for **that**.

Bill was twelve years old; happy living in our big, combined family and, thankfully, over his need to ride me like a horse. I had reluctantly allowed him to go for wolf rides after he'd seen my wolf for the first time; my reservations about his treating the wolf as a toy were overcome when I realized that it was the best way for me to keep my special connection with him once the two households were merged. He kept it up every week for a few years, but after his tenth birthday he decided he'd rather spend time with his friends; I missed those times with him a little bit but was secretly relieved.

Just then, as I was about to catch up with Quil and hand over to him, I scented two vampires. Not this again? Would we ever be free of the Cold Ones? I howled; within minutes Quil and Levi were phased and running towards me. We planned our next move.

"_We'll need to do what we did last time; inform Carlisle Cullen and ask for his input. If for no other reason than to make sure they're not friends of his."_

"_Carlisle's said before he doesn't need or want visitors; he told you that when you met him last time this happened. I say kill them first and ask questions later."_

"_You always say that Levi; admit it, you just like killing Cold Ones."_

"_And what if I do? Isn't that what we're made for? The chances that any other blood drinkers would be as peaceful as the Cullens are very small."_

_I turned to Quil. "What about you Quil; what do you think we should do?"_

"_We have a treaty Ephraim. It's designed for just these situations. Before we do anything we need to find out who these Cold Ones are and where they're headed. There'll be time enough to kill them if their intentions are to take human life."_

"_I agree. We need to get in touch with Carlisle. I'll go back to La Push and call him; you two keep running the lines."_

I ran towards the Rez; transformed back and made my way over to the payphone I'd used before for this; but I never got there. The sound of persistent howling coming from the treaty line stopped me in my tracks; I took off towards the forest to see what had happened, phasing on the fly.

Levi and Quil were at the treaty line; and so were Carlisle and Edward. Rosalie and Emmett weren't there; I wasn't sure if they were still away at college or not, but that was hardly important. For once in their undead lives both Carlisle and Edward were agitated; as well they might be, since Levi and Quil were growling very loudly at them.

And then the strangest things happened; they calmed down quickly, too quickly, beatific smiles crossed their faces, and Levi took off into the forest behind them, howling as he went.

**CPOV**

I'd been working hard over the past five or more years; my ideas to improve Forks Hospital and help our veterans and women with their health issues had come to fruition. The hospital now boasted a new wing with rehabilitation facilities, a fertility clinic and women's wards. It was my plan to try to help every childless woman to become a mother; and every mother to be able to deliver safely. And as much as was possible, I wanted the returned soldiers to regain their health and wellbeing.

The wing had been officially opened a year ago; I had done the honors and a large collection of dignitaries had been present. I wanted to name the women's wing the Martha Black Wing but Ephraim wouldn't hear of it; so I named it the Esme Cullen Wing. After all, my wife had lost a child herself.

I was halfway through my shift, checking a chart when a nurse came to find me. "Excuse me, Dr Cullen, but there is a call from your wife at the nurse's station."

It wasn't like Esme to call me at work; so it must have been important. I made my way quickly to the telephone and picked up the receiver.

"Carlisle, I need you at home RIGHT NOW. We have a major problem here; two vampires have shown up, and Edward's things have been tossed into the garage. He's come back from his hunt and is going off his head about it; and one of the vampires is covered in scars and has orangey-red eyes. I've never seen either of them before in my life..."

I interrupted her. "Sweetheart, I'm on my way; hold the fort until I get there, and send Edward to find Rosalie and Emmett as well." I dashed into my office, grabbed my medical bag and car keys, and raced out to the car park.

This was **not** the kind of news I wanted to hear. Strange vampires, Edward being pushed aside in his own home; no doubt the place was in uproar. As Ephraim Black would be when he found out I had visitors. He'd never believe I didn't invite them, and the threat they posed was self-evident. Hopefully Emmett & Rosalie would get there quickly, having hunted and made themselves strong. Thank God they'd finished college and came home a few weeks ago.

I drove home as fast as I dared; there were probably police around, but I didn't care. I arrived home to find the strangest scene I'd ever beheld; a small, perky, dark-haired vampire bouncing all over my furniture; her tall, blonde, heavily scarred mate leaning up against a wall with a look of concentration on his face, and my children all shrinking from him and keeping their distance.

I was shocked; since when had any of them been afraid of _anyone_. "What is this? Who are you and what are you doing here? From what I hear you've made yourselves very _comfortable. _Edward, would you care to fill me in?"

Edward was more than happy to tell me all about the intruders. "This _insane _leprechaun here insists that she has visions, and that these visions have drawn her here and that it's her destiny to live with this _monster_ in _my bedroom_. Apparently they like the view. So they turned up here while I was out hunting, and tossed my possessions into the garage. I think it's her destiny to leave this place as soon as possible; you know that our friends in La Push won't stand for this."

I looked the two of them over; more closely this time. The male was truly frightening; even with his shirt on I could see that he was covered in hundreds of scars, and the only way you got those was by fighting other vampires and **winning**. We were peace-loving vampires; if he wanted to enforce his will, I had no doubt that he could and would take us on. And he seemed to have some strange power over the others; I'd half expected to arrive home and find him or his mate being restrained by my children, but they seemed powerless to move against him.

He stood firm under my scrutiny; raising one eyebrow in a mocking kind of gesture, but not moving from where he stood. After a minute or two he spoke. "My name is Jasper Whitlock, sir, and this is my mate Alice Brandon. She does indeed have the ability to see the future; and her visions have drawn us here. We would like to adopt your lifestyle and live as animal drinkers."

That was a surprise. "With all due respect Mr. Whitlock, you don't look like someone who could make a successful transition to our way of living. You didn't get those scars from a peaceful existence."

He nodded. "No, I didn't. I've come from the South, and I met Alice in Philadelphia. I can feel the emotions of others; when you feed from humans and can feel their despair as they die, it makes for a bleak existence. I wanted to try something different."

That didn't really sound too plausible to me. And the mention of the South rang warning bells; I was willing to bet he'd been involved in the Southern Vampire Wars. But his rationale for becoming like us seemed a bit weak, to say the least. "I'm not a biologist or a vet, but I'm sure that animals have emotions too. Are you not going to feel those as you feed from them, or are they a lower form of life whose emotions can be safely ignored?"

He met my gaze. "The latter. I have to eat something; my conscience in killing that which humans kill every day won't trouble me as much. And my mate will thank me for it. I've already started on that path; we met two years ago now and I've been trying to adapt to her way of feeding ever since."

With limited success, if the color of his eyes was an indication. "So are you a recent convert to drinking from animals or have you slipped up recently? I can't help but notice that your eyes are not a golden color like ours; although they aren't really red either."

His lips quirked up into a wry smile. "Nobody's perfect; on the way here I did come across a scent that was too appealing to pass up. Not my singer I hasten to add, but my control isn't very good as yet."

That was unacceptable. "It'll need to be better than that if you're going to entertain any thoughts of staying here. We don't just adhere to an animal diet out of preference; for as long as we remain in this area we are bound to do so, at risk of our very lives."

Alice then piped up. "I didn't foresee any risks to you or us if we stayed here; that's why we came. But it's a funny thing; once we got here my visions stopped completely, I don't know what's going to happen now."

She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples as if that could help her to "see"; frankly I didn't care if she could or not. We'd gotten this far without her or her gift, and I didn't see the need for that to change. This whole thing was a total snafu; how was I ever going to sort it out?

I looked around at everyone; the atmosphere in the room seemed to have eased. That was curious. I looked at Jasper Whitlock again and although he was still leaning against the wall, he'd relaxed and wasn't glaring at anyone. He reminded me a bit of Jane, the Witch Twin of Volterra, and that gave me an idea. "You say you can feel emotions. Can you also influence them? And if so, what were you doing when I arrived home? Because I have to tell you; I think you were pushing fear and dread onto my family and I'm not best pleased at having my children being turned into zombies at your command."

He bristled, but answered my questions. "Yes, that was me. We arrived here and Alice went to move her stuff in; she'd worked out which room she wanted. And then this prissy, copper-haired boy comes in through the door, frothing at the mouth and objecting; closely followed by Mr. and Mrs. Universe who came barreling in with a mind to ripping my arms off. What the fuck did you expect me to do?"

"I expected you to behave like a guest in this house; not a member of my family. It is out of order for the two of you to be moving _anything, anywhere_. I'm not in a position at the moment to decide whether or not you can stay; there are other parties involved in that decision, so you'll need to remain here while Edward and I go and have a meeting with some friends of ours."

He seemed taken aback at that. "You're a vampire; the head of this coven. Whose approval could you possibly need in order to allow us to stay here? I don't understand."

Unfortunately, until such time as he **was **given approval to stay here; that was something he didn't need to know. I had no doubt that if Jasper knew about the shape shifters, he'd come up with an answer to the problem they presented that involved their deaths. And that was against my principles. I'd signed a treaty and I wasn't going to dishonor it just because our numbers had increased.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out; not now, but once you've been approved to stay here. And since that approval isn't guaranteed you'd better not get too settled. You can spend your time working out with Edward who is going to have what room; and then helping him to move into whichever one he decides on."

Everyone turned to Edward. He was deep in thought, and then he spoke. "Look, my things are in the garage now. As much as I hate your presumption in putting them in there; rearranging everything isn't a big priority at the moment. But while we're away, if you'd be so good as to move me into the room across the hall from my old one, I'll worry about the details later."

Jasper turned to Alice. "You can help with that, Alice. I really think that I should go to this meeting or whatever it is too."

I couldn't force him to stay behind, except by threat of eviction and that hadn't had much effect. So I tried again to persuade him. "Oh, no, believe me; your presence would not be _at all _helpful."

He sighed. "Then Alice and I will await your return, and in the meantime we'll get to know everyone here."

And with that, Edward and I ran out of the house and towards the Reservation. I thought to Edward, "_Are we being followed? Make sure that Jasper Whitlock really has stayed behind or we're all dead. One look at him and Ephraim will give Levi his dearest wish."_

Once we were out of hearing range Edward whispered, "He's not following. Alice wanted him to; but he told her that would guarantee their removal from the house. He has no idea how right he is about that."

Time to gather my thoughts. This meeting was not going to be easy.

**JasperPOV**

I snorted. As if I was going to tip my hand to those two. It hadn't been mentioned by anyone, but I was sure that Edward was gifted. He seemed to have plucked some ideas straight out of our heads; neither of us had mentioned that Alice liked the view from his room. So just in case, I blocked my thoughts and concentrated on telling Alice very firmly that we weren't going anywhere.

And then I slipped out of the house through the window of the room we'd moved into. I couldn't follow directly behind, or get too close. Not just because they might scent me, but because if I was in range Edward might "hear" me.

So I tracked a big circle and then moved across where they'd been headed, picking up their scents again. I was downwind of them, and that should have been enough to keep me concealed; but once I'd taken up my position in a tree I could hear growling.

It was terrifying; loud and getting louder by the minute. And it didn't sound like a noise a vampire would make. I had to see what kind of creature was making that sound.

I kept my thoughts blank, pumped out some emotions of compliance and contentment towards Carlisle and Edward, and moved slowly and quietly towards their meeting place.

Until I was hit by several sensations almost all at once: smell, what **was** that? Sound; louder and louder, growls and howling. And then the thud as I fell over forwards and hit the ground. I lifted my head; twisting it to the side and looking up to find an enormous wolf pinning me to the forest floor and snarling at me; ready to dismember me if I so much as breathed.

Who were these beasts, and why was Carlisle friends with them? Alice had never seen **this** happen.


	15. Chapter 15

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**1950**

**EphPOV**

Carlisle spoke first. "We have an issue that we need to inform you of..."

I stayed in my wolf form, but communicated my thoughts to Edward. "_I think that the issue might be somewhere over there where Levi just ran off to. Why don't we follow him and see what he went after?"_

Edward nodded, and then relayed my message to Carlisle. Carlisle turned towards me. "I agree we'll follow Levi; although I'm fairly certain that I know who or what he's found."

It wasn't hard to work out where Levi had gone; all we had to do was follow the growling. And the swearing. When we caught up with Levi, he was in the forest and had a Cold One pinned to the ground; he was growling and baring his fangs, the Cold One was going off at him.

"What the fuck? What is this? Carlisle, are you there? Get this stupid fucking dog off me!"

You could tell he was afraid of Levi, but covering it up with a display of bravado. Levi, for his part, was waiting for the signal from me to tear this creature's head off. It wasn't going to be forthcoming; at least until I had some answers.

I went into Levi's mind. _"Levi, STAND DOWN. We are not going to do anything until I've spoken to Carlisle. LET HIM GO."_

Levi turned towards us and bared his teeth; but obeyed, as well he might since I'd Alpha ordered him to release the Cold One. His victim once released, jumped up and looked around him, seemingly confused with what he was seeing. I spoke to Levi and Quil again.

"_I am going to phase back. Remain in your wolf forms and keep a close eye on the Cold One. If he tries to escape from here, give chase and kill him. His life is forfeit if he leaves this meeting before I have found out who he is and what his business here might be."_

I knew that Edward would have caught that exchange, so for his benefit I thought to him as well. _"You need to persuade your friend to be quiet and stay in his place. This is between Carlisle and me. And I apologize in advance for my nakedness when I transform; the howling caught me off guard and my clothes were shredded."_

And with that, the air shimmered around me as my wolf disappeared and I stood before the gathering as myself. I looked at the Cold One. He had been spoken to by Edward and was standing by a bit more quietly than before, but looking me up and down with an appraising eye.

I looked Carlisle in the eye, as he did me. Over the fourteen years since he had moved to Forks we'd had a number of meetings; and there were times like this where one or the other of us had an emergency to deal with. So we took things as we found them. But it was time to find out what was happening with Carlisle and this Cold One.

"Carlisle, it would seem that my beta has found a Cold One in the forest. Would his presence have anything to do with why you and Edward came to the treaty line to find me?"

Carlisle gave a wry smile, but it didn't reach up to his eyes. He looked weary, if that was possible for a vampire, and a little apprehensive. "It has everything to do with it. I hadn't planned for our meeting to have an eavesdropper, but since he is here I would like to introduce him to you. Ephraim, this is Jasper Whitlock. Jasper, this is Ephraim Black, Alpha of the Quileute Wolf Pack of La Push."

The Cold One was heavily scarred. That was never a good sign where respect for human life was at issue. He must have fought hundreds of battles. But Cold Ones weren't on my radar; his fame may have been great in the vampire world but his name meant nothing to me.

"Never heard of him Carlisle. And if the scars I can see on his forearms are any indication, that's a good thing. Would you like to tell me what he's doing here?"

"He and his mate have come here in search of us. They'd heard about us and our lifestyle and wanted to try it." Edward twitched a bit when Carlisle mentioned the word "heard". That was interesting; but how else would they know?

Although how they knew wasn't relevant; it made no difference to me, I couldn't have them here. "Surely you realize Carlisle how impossible it would be for me to agree to this. I can see quite clearly that this Cold One either drinks from humans or has done so recently. I can't have a human drinker anywhere near my people."

Carlisle sighed. "I had feared that you would say that. We've been placed in a difficult position as the mate of this man moved herself into our house when some of us were out and threw Edward's things in the garage. She's not going to take no for an answer."

I looked at Edward. He had the expression of a man who's been forced to suck on a lemon. I was trying to be the Alpha and act responsibly, but that shit was funny. I threw my head back and laughed, **hard**.

And truth be known, I was curious about this Cold One; maybe it wouldn't hurt to listen to his story. "I'd like Mr. Whitlock to speak to us. I'm not promising anything, but as long as he behaves himself I'm prepared to give him a hearing."

The Cold One met my gaze and inclined his head ever so slightly. "Thank you sir for allowing me to speak. I'll try to tell you what Alice and I are all about; I hope for her sake you'll let us stay."

**JasperPOV**

Finding myself eating dirt on the forest floor was a new experience for me. No vampire had ever been able to ambush me like that, but the wolf was fast.

I tried to struggle against him, and stand back up; but he was enormous, and I could only turn my head a little bit. I couldn't stand up at all.

I was getting more and more angry, and more than a little afraid. I thought about using my power on the wolf; but I had a feeling that things would end badly for me if I did. As much as I resented it, I was going to have to stay where I was.

And he was getting louder and louder; growling and snarling at me. Just then I heard, and smelled, the others running towards us. I was pissed; I wanted this beast to get off me.

I knew Carlisle was coming; I could smell him. And things couldn't possibly be any worse than they were already. So I yelled at him. "What the fuck? What is this? Carlisle, are you there? Get this stupid fucking dog off me!"

The place went quiet for a minute or so; I couldn't see what was happening. But eventually, the wolf released his grip on me and I got up.

Color me confused. Standing next to Carlisle and Edward were another **two **wolves. Neither party was attacking the other; nor was there any sign that an attack was imminent. The largest wolf, one with russet fur, was looking at each of his pack mates in turn. There was intelligence in his facial expressions; and he seemed to be communicating with the others. I had no experience of this; werewolves didn't come out in the day time.

Then he looked at Edward. If, as I believed, Edward could read minds then this creature must have been capable of rational thought. As I tried to decide what to do next, Edward spoke to me, at vampire speed.

"Jasper, I need to warn you. You are not to leave this place without permission. If you do try to escape, they will kill you."

Edward didn't need to worry; I hadn't got this far by being stupid. I was certain that even though our numbers were equal to theirs, if I did the wrong thing Carlisle wouldn't step in to protect me. So I stayed right where I was, waiting to see what would happen next.

I didn't have to wait long. The air around the russet wolf seemed to waver; and then in the blink of an eye a Native American man stood before me. He was astonishingly tall, at least 6 feet 8, maybe taller, powerfully built, and completely naked. Not that he was bothered by that; he made no attempt to cover himself up. I caught his eye; he was well aware of my scrutiny, and if anything seemed amused by it. As well he might be, he lost nothing by comparison to a vampire.

He and Carlisle began to speak to each other; and in due course I was introduced to him. Ephraim Black, Alpha of the Quileute Wolf Pack. I had no idea how many wolves were in the pack, but I hoped it was only three. This was a complication; Alice hadn't seen them in her visions, and without knowing what Carlisle's intentions were he seemed happy enough to coexist with them, he'd not moved from Forks for years according to Alice.

I wondered if we could take them out; seven against three, if that was all there was. Edward turned to me and glared. He didn't say anything, perhaps the wolves would hear him, but he made it clear what that line of thought would get me. And I knew that Alice wanted to live peacefully here; I was going to have to put the Major to rest if we were going to find a way to stay here.

Ephraim was clearly unimpressed with me; his sight was good enough to take in my scars, although they were only visible around my neck and on my forearms. They were a warning sign to other vampires, and an advantage in a fight, but useless to me here. And he was even less impressed with my eye color; I was going to have to really rein myself in from now on.

They were talking about mine and Alice's arrival at the house. I'd tried to keep her away from Edward's room, you didn't do that sort of thing; but she just airily said that she'd seen the two of us in that room so why wait. The problem with having a mate with no memory of her human life was that she had no idea of proper behavior, especially in a family.

When Carlisle got to the bit about that, Ephraim suddenly threw back his head and **laughed**. You could tell that Edward was annoyed; he really needed to get that stick out of his ass.

And then he gave me my opening. It was as welcome as it was unexpected; a chance for me to state my case for being allowed to stay. If the roles were reversed, I wasn't sure I'd have been that willing to give my enemy a hearing.

I thanked Ephraim for his forbearance, and started to tell my story. "I've come here with my mate Alice, to try to start a new life. We met two years ago in Philadelphia; she was waiting there in a diner for me to arrive. This may sound strange, but she has visions. When she first became a vampire she had no memory of her human life; but she had visions about me and about coming to live with Carlisle and his family. I'd rather not say too much about my background; suffice to say that by the time I met Alice I was ready to leave my nomadic, human drinking days behind me."

Ephraim was thoughtful, but any hope I'd had that he would leave things there was in vain. "I am a wolf. My eyesight is much keener than a human's. And I **KNOW**, clothes or no clothes, that you are covered in fighting scars. To me that means one thing; for whatever reason you have battled large numbers of vampires for a long period of time. You couldn't be further from the type of vampire Carlisle would like to have under his roof if you tried. So if you want to convince me to let you remain here you'll have to do better than that. You can start by telling me the truth about your background."

I wasn't ashamed of my past, but I wasn't proud of it either. It was what it was; I couldn't change anything about it, and lying wouldn't get me far. So I told him the whole story; my time in the Confederate Army, my promotions to Major, Maria, the Southern Vampire Wars, everything. It took quite some time, but throughout it his gaze never wavered from me.

And his expressions, and those of his pack mates, varied as I told my story from incredulity, at my age, to sympathy, disgust and relief. They now knew I was dangerous; but as they were just as dangerous, the knowledge didn't frighten them like it would have another vampire. And Ephraim had the power in the situation; one word from him and Carlisle would either have us thrown out or leave Forks himself.

He began to ask me some questions. "You say that you want to become an animal drinker like Carlisle. And you say that you've been living as one for two years. Why are your eyes not the same color as his then?"

"Because I drank from a human on the way here. I won't insult your intelligence by saying it was a slip-up, although to me it was; the only way I could do that is if I came across my singer, and that hasn't happened yet. No; I was thirsty and came across an appealing scent, and didn't have the willpower to resist it. I could have; but I chose not to."

"Singer?" Ephraim queried my use of the word.

"A singer is a human who, to a particular vampire, has blood that is irresistible in its pull. A vampire who comes across his singer will not be able to stop himself from drinking from that human; and the blood will taste better and sweeter than any other blood he will ever have."

Ephraim curled his lip. His disgust for my practices and lack of restraint was obvious. "If, and only if, you are allowed to live with Carlisle and his family, a decision that will be up to both of us; you will have to completely abstain from human drinking for the rest of your time here. We have a treaty with Carlisle and the terms are very clear; to do that would void the treaty and we would kill you."

"With all due respect Ephraim; there are seven vampires here and three of you, that I know of. Why should your wishes matter to anyone?"

"They matter because I'm the Alpha of this pack and because I know that Carlisle has invested time and money in building a life here. You're the intruder; you don't get to make the rules. You won't get help from the others; and if you want to take the three of us on by yourself, you're most welcome to. I could have you in pieces and in flames before you knew what was happening."

While he was speaking, Carlisle and Edward both turned to look at me, quietly shaking their heads. Ephraim was right; clearly I would get no help from them. OK then; time to forget about taking charge here. "If drinking from animals is the price I have to pay for living here; I'm prepared to do that. Alice really wants to stay; we'd appreciate your approval for that."

"We also believe that it's not sustainable for you to drink from the local wildlife constantly; there are too many of you. But that's not a condition of the treaty; we'd only ask that you hunt in other areas as often as possible. And by hunt I mean hunt animals; we don't allow the red-eyed members of your kind to leave the Peninsula once they come here."

"So even if we went elsewhere to hunt; you'd kill us for having red eyes."

"Yes. My duty as Alpha and a Protector of La Push is clear; Cold Ones are a threat to our tribe, we do not tolerate any Cold Ones except for yellow-eyed ones. And that was the choice I made in 1936; I can unmake it."

Carlisle spoke up then. "I admit that when I heard about our visitors I was wishing they'd leave. Not that you'd believe me about that I'm sure, Ephraim. But since they are here, and wanting to try our way of life; I feel bound to at least let them try to live the way we do. If they don't adapt to our family, I'll be the first to suggest that they continue on their way. Perhaps you could consider letting them remain here for six months or so, until we see how they get on?"

Even though I'd only just met Carlisle, I was willing to bet this was a standard tactic of his; trying to reach some sort of a compromise, attempting to please both sides and maybe pleasing nobody. But each party did get something out of it; Carlisle six months to help us to shape up, Ephraim a time frame for us to ship out if we failed.

It was more than reasonable really; I just had to learn to bite my tongue and not voice my objections to it. As a dominant male myself; and one who was used to taking what he wanted, playing second fiddle to a human was unnatural for me. But I'd had to admit these were no ordinary humans; the wolves flanking Ephraim, who had stayed in that form throughout the meeting, were the proof of that. Their eyes bored into me like laser beams; some part of me knew without asking that they would give chase if I tried to leave. All that I had to do was acknowledge the two leaders here as my betters, and get on with my life as Alice's mate.

I added to Carlisle's remarks, "We could live with that; I'm sure, once Alice and I know what the rules are for staying here, we will be able to obey them. I give both of you my word on that."

Ephraim turned his head left and right and then made room for himself. If the transformation from wolf to human was surprising, the one in the other direction was as frightening as it was impressive. Gone was the man and in its place an enormous beast. A beast with the intellect of a human and the killing ability of a true predator. He hadn't given any indication that he was going to do that, but Edward at least seemed to expect it.

After a couple of minutes Edward spoke. "Ephraim is conferring with the other two using their pack mind link. They've decided to agree to Carlisle's request for now, provided that the terms of the treaty are explained and adhered to; and that no others of our kind are allowed to come here."

"I'm happy with that" Carlisle said. "If you, Jasper, can't live by my rules I'll be the first to tell you to go. Welcome to the family; at least for now."

Alice would be so excited. At last we had a place to call home; even if I'd almost ruined things for us. I'd need to introduce her to the wolves, so that they'd know who she was; but after that we could get on with the rest of our eternity. I was looking forward to it; she was my soul mate and my true home.


	16. Chapter 16

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**1953**

**EphPOV**

Jasper and Alice had been with the Cullens for two years now. I had been very wary of them to begin with, it seemed to me to be unlikely that they would fit into the Cullen family, but to my great surprise they had.

Every so often, in our dealings with them, I would see Edward turn to Jasper and frown, or lift an eyebrow. So maybe the thoughts were still there, but not being acted upon. I tried to ensure that I was not alone with Jasper; it had become clear to me that he was also a gifted vampire, and that his gift dealt with emotions.

The scene when we first met him had made me think that; the speed with which their agitation that day settled into another emotion entirely was very suspect. And I had seen Jasper in action since then; suffice to say that in certain situations nobody ever seemed to feel an emotion that he wouldn't want them to.

But at the moment, Jasper was the least of my worries. He was Carlisle's concern; the treaty was clear, he and Alice had a home as long as they observed its terms.

No, my worry was Bill. He was 14 now, and growing very quickly. His voice had gotten deeper, his skin warmer, and he was a pain in the neck.

He was rude to Amelia, and constantly getting into fights with his step-siblings and with other kids on the Rez as well. It didn't help that some of them were behaving the same way; the place was a tinderbox at times.

And it was not at all difficult to work out what was going on. My son and his peers were paying the price for Carlisle's dream; they were beginning the physical changes that would eventually turn them into wolves.

Worse still, there were three of them in my house alone. Amelia's sons Daniel and Peter were Atearas as well as Clearwaters; it wasn't too surprising that they might phase, but I had hoped the damage might be contained to the sons of me Levi and Quil.

Perhaps if the vampire exposure had been incidental, that might have been the case; but with the Cullens, and there were now seven of them, camped on our doorstep for the best part of two decades there was no escape for any descendant of Taha Aki. By that I meant male descendant; I had no idea if any of the females of the bloodline could ever become wolves, but none had.

I decided, since there were a few boys getting close to phasing, to take them on a trip to try to tip them over the edge all at once. Otherwise our spare time for the next several months would be spent watching them, and trying to be there for them when it happened. They were all schoolboys, and we were all busy with our other duties; it was likely that we'd not be around at the right times.

Normally, we might send them on a spirit quest. I had gone on one when I was about 15; although my father's generation had not become wolves, his father's had and he knew, or thought he knew, the signs. I had gone into the wilderness for five days with little food or water; and at the end of that time, as I retreated into my elemental self, my wolf emerged. He had been a part of me ever since, but I could clearly remember how disorienting it was to have changed form like that.

The boys needed to have the same experience, but in a more controlled way. They needed to feel alone, but without being completely alone; to be able to find their inner selves, but not be lost when they did.

I went and saw Levi and Quil about it. "How have things been with your boys of late?"

Levi answered first. "Just awful. Douglas and Charles are impossible to live with at the moment; they're rude, hot-tempered and don't listen to a word I say. And my brother Caleb says that his son Jonathan is just as bad."

I smiled. "In other words Levi, not at all like you."

He glared at me and then shrugged. "No, not at all like me, but if they become wolves and can put that anger to use killing Cold Ones I won't mind. If they all phase we'll outnumber the Cullens; maybe we can take them out then?"

I sighed; Levi was never going to be happy until every Cullen was dead; or at least deader than at present. I stayed a wolf to protect my people; he stayed a wolf in the hope of ultimate revenge.

"Give it a rest Levi; we have a treaty, until they break it we will NOT harm them. You know where I stand on that."

I turned to Quil. "What about you? How is Quil III?"

He rolled his eyes. "About the same as the rest of the boys. He is a bit quieter than Bill, or Levi's two, but that has more to do with his nature than the things he's going through. I can see the changes in him, and so can his mother and sister. He's not outwardly angry, but he's moody and his skin is hotter to the touch. And the growth; he eats like a horse."

Time to put my idea to them. "Do you remember, when we were younger, and we each went on a spirit quest? Mine frightened the life out of me; I had no idea I what it meant to become a wolf, but at least it was only a few days and then my transition was over with. What I had in mind for the boys was to take them all on the same quest; try to do something to trigger them all beginning to phase at once."

Levi looked thoughtful. "That could work. How would you make that happen?"

I'd been trying to think of something that would work for that. "As I see it, there are probably only two things apart from the quest itself that might do that for certain. One is to make them angry, the other to have them be exposed to a Cold One."

"A Cold One. Good luck with that, why would any of them agree?"

"They'd agree if it meant that one of our boys didn't phase for the first time in public, or near one of them. If it happened in the wrong place or at the wrong time the consequences could be disastrous."

Quil's eyes widened. "He's right Levi, I hadn't thought of that. If one of them was in Forks or Port Angeles and came across one of the Cullens unexpectedly, he might phase and attack from instinct. The treaty would be broken, and we'd be at fault. I'd give it hours before the one named Jasper persuaded Carlisle to retaliate and wipe us out. He's going to be none too happy about this as it is; I know he wanted Carlisle to make use of his numerical advantage years ago, after this, he won't have one."

It seemed to me that the best thing to do would be to talk to Carlisle about it. The change was inevitable; even if they all left now these boys were going to become wolves. Since he was part of the problem, I'd see if he wanted to become part of the solution.

And if that didn't work I'd try my other plan; to just simply try to trigger something within them, if not from the quest, then from goading them into anger. That was my last resort; we couldn't spare Levi and Quil for any length of time from their patrols, I was going to have to do this on my own.

"Well, this is how I see it. The two of you are needed to keep up the protection of the Rez. The treaty won't keep us safe from red-eyed Cold Ones, and we don't know when we might get more of those again. You can do twelve hour shifts, one night time, one day time. If you want to check in with me in your down time, feel free to, but I will mainly be on my own with this. I am going to go away with Bill, Quil, Daniel, Peter, Jonathan Douglas and Charles. Maybe they won't all phase but I'm not counting on that. And after a week or so, especially if Carlisle helps with this, we'll have some new wolves to train. I'll leave you now; I'm going to make my phone call."

I went away and called Carlisle. As usual, he had half an idea why I was calling. "Hello, Carlisle Cullen speaking."

"Hello Carlisle, Ephraim Black here. I need to ask a favor of you."

"Let me guess, Ephraim. Would it have anything to do with those large superheated adolescents I've seen running around Forks of late?"

"Ah, so you've seen Bill and his friends then. Yes, they are large, and yes, it is about them."

The line went quiet for a moment, and then Carlisle spoke again. "We weren't here when you became a wolf Ephraim, but these physical changes, they go beyond what a normal boy would experience. Did the same things happen to you when you were that age?"

"Yes they did, but I'm concerned this time that the issue is a lot bigger than it was then."

"In what way?"

"In the past the pack has never numbered more than three wolves. That was the number that seemed to be needed to deal with the threat that we faced; nomadic Cold Ones that usually travelled in pairs. But since your family has lived here, there seems to have been a change to that pattern. There are a minimum of four, and as many as seven boys who might make the transformation into wolves this time."

There was an audible intake of breath at the other end of the line. "Seven?"

"Yes, seven. And I'd rather not have to tag team them all over the Rez for the next year or more; and neither do I want them exploding into their wolf forms on some random street corner, because somebody taunted them or a family member of yours was walking past."

"Point taken, Ephraim. But I'm not sure how you think I can help you with that. What are you proposing?"

"I'm proposing a trip; I take them away with me and while they're away, well away from civilization, I want them to call forth their spirit warrior and phase. Some may find this easier to accomplish on their own than others; for those I might need to seek your help."

"And the advantage to us from our participation would be..."

"Keeping the threat of exposure or injury to a minimum. Having a stable wolf population rather than uncertainty, as each boy reaches his tipping point. It's up to you, but as I said, you're partly responsible for this state of affairs."

"We are?"

"Our wolf only emerges in the presence of Cold Ones. My father was not a wolf, but his father was."

"I see. I'll speak to the rest of my family and get back to you."

"Thank you Carlisle. I'll wait to hear from you."

I hung up the telephone and went back to my house. Less of a home these days with the tension there; but that was my problem to deal with too.

I walked in the door. Bill was fighting with Daniel, Amelia was trying to sort them out, they were shouting at her. I stood and waited for them to notice me standing there. They didn't.

"ENOUGH!"

Heads swiveled in my direction. Bill and Daniel saw me, then turned back and kept arguing. Amelia came running to me and I hugged her, drawing her to me. She buried her head in my chest for a few minutes as she calmed herself down, and then looked up at me and started to speak, pouring out her day's troubles for me to hear. "Thank God you're here Ephraim; these two have been impossible, fighting at school and ever since they got home as well. I can't make them stop."

I could, I was sure about that. They weren't wolves yet but I was wondering whether my Alpha tone would work on them. I needed to find that out before I went away with seven teenage boys and now was as good a time as any to test my theory out. To me their wolves were so close to the surface now, there might just be an instinctive need for them to respond to their Alpha.

I gathered myself, placed my hand over Amelia's ear, and gave my order. "YOU WILL LOOK AT ME; AND YOU WILL OBEY ME. YOU WILL STOP FIGHTING, AND YOU WILL APOLOGIZE TO YOUR MOTHER AND TO ME IMMEDIATELY."

I watched them carefully. It took a minute or so, and I could see that they didn't WANT to obey me, but slowly their heads turned to face me. They quietened down, and then spoke to Amelia, Daniel first.

"I'm sorry Mom; I didn't mean to upset you like that."

Bill followed suit. "I'm sorry too Mom, I don't know what's wrong with me, everything these days just makes me mad."

I looked at them, frowning. "Sorry Dad" they both said, almost at the same time. Then they shook their heads, looked at each other and at me as if to say "what was that about?" and started to walk away.

One more thing to do. "You will both do whatever it was that your mother was asking of you before; and then you'll go to your room. I think she and I need a break from you for a while. We'll call you when it's dinner time."

I took Amelia by the hand and walked her over to the sofa, sitting her on my lap. I knew she was still upset and we needed to fix this now. I turned her head towards me, and cupped her chin in my hand. "They're beginning to frighten you aren't they?"

"Yes my love, they are. I can't get them to listen to a word I say."

"Have you worked out what is happening to them?"

Amelia sat and thought for a minute, then shook her head vigorously. "No, no, no, not that, please not that, anything but that!"

It was hard news to give her but we needed to deal with this now. "I'm sorry darling. I always feared that Bill would become a wolf if the Cullens remained; I'm the Alpha, it's unavoidable. I had hoped that your boys would escape the curse; but you're Quil's sister, there was always going to be a chance that they would become wolves too."

No need to tell her that the gene in them might not have been triggered by a random Cold One; that would break her heart. We held each other, and after a while she started to cry, sobbing quietly as she mourned the loss of their normal lives. I let her get it all out of her system, kissing her head, whispering to her and stroking her hair. By the time she had stopped it was dark outside, and she got up and went to the kitchen to make our dinner. I went to find the boys.

They weren't far away; they were where I'd ordered them to be, funnily enough. Peter was there too, I could hear the three of them talking. I knocked on their bedroom door and walked in. "I need to talk to you three about what just happened, and a trip we are going to go on."

Bill looked at the other two and they nodded, then he looked up nervously at me. I supposed he had been deputized to beard the lion, so to speak. "Dad, what was that about? You told me to do something, but it wasn't like the other times you've done that; it was as if I had no choice but to obey you."

"That's because you didn't, Bill. What I gave to you and Daniel then was an Alpha order. It was my wolf speaking to you, and you obeyed it because you also have a wolf and he sees me as his leader."

"Does that mean I am going to be a wolf? Like you are?"

"I'm afraid so, Bill. And since my Alpha order worked on Daniel as well, he will probably be one too. There are possibly seven of you boys on the Rez that might become wolves; that's what I need to speak to you about. We are going to go on a trip."

"What kind of a trip?"

"We are going to go into the wilderness, me you and the others and then each of you is going to go on a spirit quest. It's better for your wolf to emerge this way than risk it happening somewhere else."

"When can we go?"

"I'm waiting to hear about a few things, when it's all organized we can go. I'll speak to the Rez school; you'll all need the week off. Is there anything else you want to know?"

"No Dad, that's all."

I turned and went to leave the room. As I closed the door behind me I heard a voice say "A wolf! How cool is that?"

Not cool at all.

**CPOV**

I hung up the phone, and went into the living room. There was no point in going over the conversation; Edward would have picked it out of my head and told everyone already, or they'd have heard me. I hadn't asked Ephraim to spell out what need he might have of us; presumably he intended to make use of our scents as a trigger for the first phase, or our mere presence as a goad to anger.

I looked around the room. Emmett was excited, this kind of thing was right up his alley. But apart from his strength, there was nothing I could use; he was too good-natured for his rough-housing to have any effect. Rosalie could certainly make them angry, but she was my little girl, she wasn't going anywhere and neither was Esme. We'd learned that Alice's power didn't work around the wolves, so not only was she too small to be around them, she couldn't warn us about any issues. So that left Edward, Jasper and I; and on the whole, I preferred to leave Edward behind. The pack mind would be enough once the phasings started happening; and I knew that Ephraim only tolerated mind reading when it was really necessary. But Jasper's power to influence emotions could be VERY useful.

I sighed and began to speak. "I assume that Edward's told you what the call was about; does anyone have anything to say about it?"

Jasper replied, "I do! I find it amazing that you are even contemplating helping with this. They are wolves; they are our enemies. Fair enough that you signed a treaty with them twenty years ago or whenever it was; but why on earth would you let them increase their numbers at our expense?"

Jasper was still new here; and he was our Levi, the fierce warrior who wanted to kill first and ask questions later. Five years with Alice and three with us hadn't tamed him yet. "As long as the treaty holds we are bound to honor it. And so are they. Numbers are irrelevant. Would you rather come across a brand new wolf in a dark alley, or worse, in public?"

"No wolf has the ability to kill me Carlisle. Levi only lives because I chose not to use my power on him the day he captured me."

"That's as may be but these wolves are still children. Kill one of them and the entire pack will be here and we'll be lucky to survive. I like my life here, and so do you. Stop fighting against it and either settle down or leave."

Edward's relationship with Jasper and Alice had taken a while to recover from the initial insult. I watched him carefully, as I knew Ephraim always did, too; he wasn't that good at hiding his disgust when an unpleasant thought crossed someone's mind. Judging by his behavior around Jasper, that mind was not a nice place to delve into. Right now he was glaring at the blonde vampire.

"I'm inclined to grant Ephraim's request. I can't prevent these boys from becoming wolves, so if they are going to, it's better to be under controlled conditions. And I had an idea about that actually; Jasper, I thought that if we were called upon you could go with me. Are you willing to help? And by help I mean work with us; you are not to use your powers on Ephraim or I."

He thought about it for a minute. "If this is inevitable then I agree it needs to be managed. But in all seriousness Carlisle, there are bigger issues here. The longer we stay here, the more wolves there are going to be. How long do we sit by and do nothing about it?"

I'd been wondering that myself, but I was determined. The treaty would hold, and we would just be a cold blood-drinking family living near other families whose members just happened to turn into gigantic wolves. "We stay until we have a reason to go. At the moment, there isn't one. You forget that the presence of the wolves makes this a place where the supernatural attracts less attention than elsewhere; the people of Forks and La Push are used to strange things. If we went somewhere else we'd be noticed more."

Jasper looked at Alice, and gave her a wry smile. "The things I do for you, baby girl. Alright then Carlisle, when do we get started on this?"

"As soon as possible. I'll get word to Ephraim and we'll get this show on the road."


	17. Chapter 17

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**1953**

**EphPOV**

We were out in the wilderness, ten of us. Seven young wolves, Carlisle Jasper and I. This was going to be interesting. I'd been thinking about how to go about it, and how to keep things under control. I decided to give each of the boys his own space, to try in the first instance to find his wolf as I had; but if that was not having the desired effect to bring Jasper in. But first I let them have a meal in the presence of the Cullens, to try to set things in motion.

And so here we were, seated around a campfire, getting ready to go our separate ways tomorrow for two or three days. I looked around me at the boys. Bill, Quil and Douglas were bristling; awkward in the presence of the Cold Ones, and wanting to be gone. I took that to mean that they were closer to their first phase than the others.

Daniel was unsettled, but less so than his peers, and Jonathan Peter and Charles were fairly quiet. Some of the boys were on the young side, more like 13 than 14 or 15, but even if not all made the transition this week it might speed things up a bit.

And of course for a teenage boy in La Push being badly behaved was not always a sign of becoming a wolf; some boys were just obnoxious at that age. I took everyone that I thought might transform, but I had no idea if all of them would.

I doused the fire, and then motioned towards the large tent I'd put up for the boys. "Go and get some sleep; you'll need it for tomorrow when I get you up early for your quests."

I wasn't planning to have any rest just yet; being asleep in the presence of Cold Ones was not an option for me. But they were going to leave soon; and only return if they were needed further. I had Carlisle's word on that.

**JPOV**

After the boys had all gone to bed, I sat quietly for a short while trying to think of something to say. The emotional atmosphere was difficult; I could sense Ephraim's pride in his son, but also his sadness at the fact that he would soon be losing the boy to the man, and his concern that the process would not be smooth.

For my part, it was going to be interesting to be around for some of these first transformations; but I couldn't understand why my coven leader willingly subjected himself to life (such as it was) side by side with these smelly coarse beasts. He had lived in Volterra, the centre of vampire society and the last word in sophistication in our world. And he had renounced that life for **this**. I shook my head; it made no sense.

Still, my own situation was as good here as it was ever going to be anywhere else. You didn't live the vampire life I had without consequences; my activities in the South had ensured there was a price on my head if I ever left the coven and went back there, or to Europe. I preferred the existence of an animal drinker; as repulsive as the stuff was, the emotions of my prey were a bit easier to deal with than they had been before.

Carlisle spoke. "I need to leave, and check in with the Hospital. Jasper, are you coming with me now?"

I should have said yes; but Ephraim's emotions were fascinating to me and I wanted to learn more about him. "I'll stay a little longer, Carlisle; don't worry, I know the rules."

I felt like a dog being let off the leash for the first time. Ironic, really, considering where I was. Carlisle looked me in the eyes; his head moved infinitesimally, and then he was gone.

I turned to Ephraim, who had sat back down again. "I'm sure that your son, Bill isn't it, will be fine."

He stared straight ahead, looking into the distance at something only he could see. "He will never be **fine** again. He will be a wolf; have you any idea what a toll that will take on him physically and mentally?"

"I can't say I have. But you've been doing it for some years now and you don't seem to be affected much by it."

"Not affected. **Not affected!**"

Ephraim snorted. "I'm 38 and I look 25. In ten years time I'll still look 25. Do you have any idea what that will do to my wife? I transform into a giant wolf and dismember Cold Ones. It is what I was created to do. But I can do nothing about a coven of Cold Ones permanently camped on my doorstep because when I was a young man I was silly enough to sign a treaty with one. I physically change from one species to another in a matter of seconds; and then back again. Unlike one of your kind, my condition is passed down to my sons and grandsons; so for as long as I live, I have to stand by and watch as my curse is passed down from me to my loved ones through the generations. And as long as I am Alpha I will never die."

I could sense his anger; it was flowing from him like a river, having displaced the sadness for now. But I'd promised Carlisle that I wouldn't tinker with Ephraim's emotional state so I continued to speak to him instead. "You could stop phasing and live a normal life."

"Are you offering to pack up with your _family_ and leave Forks forever? Because I am doing **no such thing** until there are no Cold Ones living, no, _existing _in this area and I have a pack of grown men to follow in my footsteps as Protectors of La Push. Surely you've worked out by now that Carlisle doesn't want to leave."

"I'm not the leader of the Cullens. You know that. If I was, I'd have left this area as soon as I learned there were wolves here. No disrespect; but living cheek-by-jowl with your mortal enemy doesn't seem like a smart thing to do."

"There's your answer. The Cullens aren't going anywhere and neither am I."

It was time to leave. This part of the process was not my concern; if I was needed again I would be called. Having seen the boys up close, it seemed to me that not all would accomplish the change without help.

I stood, smoothing down my jeans and brushing the fine ash from the fire off. Ephraim stood as well, his emotions having changed again to determination and a sense of purpose. No doubt he was once again in Alpha mode, but his next words made that plain. "I'd like you to leave now; as I think you've already surmised. Once the boys are awake and on their way I'm going to transform. I'll remain that way until the quests are complete; if after that time there are candidates whom I feel could use your assistance I'll arrange for Carlisle to be contacted. I've allowed a week for the process; it will be four or five days before you hear from anyone again."

I'd have liked to stay and watch as he became, once again, the spirit warrior and Alpha wolf. He had an aura about him even as a human, but when his wolf emerged he was truly a larger than life figure; a being of myth and legend. I should have wanted him dead; I knew he felt that way about me, but as a warrior I had to respect him. However, he had asked me to leave, so I headed for home and Alice. She'd be worried about me; she wouldn't have seen a thing I did since I came here.

**EphPOV**

As dawn broke and the sun began to rise, I went and woke the boys up. One by one they came out of the tent stretching and rubbing their eyes. I made them breakfast, and once they'd all finished eating I handed each of them their pack and gave them their directions. "I want each of you to head a different way from the others; you need to find a place of solitude where you can call on your ancestors and give yourself over to your spirit warrior. If your wolf is ready to emerge, he will; if not, don't worry."

And with that I stood and watched as my son, and his friends, took the first steps towards manhood; at least as a Quileute would do.

**Bill POV**

I turned around, and started to run towards the east. There was a part of me that wanted to wave to Dad before I went, but the man back at the camp wasn't my Dad anymore, he was my Alpha. It was funny, he'd not said that to me, but I just knew it deep inside. From now on he was only my Dad at home.

I ran until I found a small clearing and started to put my little camp together. I had very little in the way of provisions, but that was part of the spirit quest; only having barely enough to sustain myself for the coming days. I was determined to bring forth my wolf without help; I was the son of the Alpha.

Before I began my quest, I ate some food and drank some of my water, the last I would have for some time. Then I removed most of my clothing, laid out my blanket, and sat down cross-legged on it, placing my hands on my knees.

I began to meditate, breathing slowly and deeply and going into myself to try to find the spirit warrior that dwelt inside of me. I hoped that it would be as strong as my father's; I wanted to be worthy of my own Taha Aki. Maybe he would come to me?

Time passed; I had no idea what day it was and the time of day was something that I registered only as the appearance, disappearance and movement of the sun, moon and stars overhead. I ceased to be aware of my external surroundings and I retreated into my innermost self. After some time in this state, I heard a voice inside my head.

"_William; can you feel my presence? I am Taha Aki; I am here to send to you your spirit warrior. If you call for him in my name in your mind he will appear; he will be a warrior worthy of you, son of the greatest Alpha since my time."_

I felt a shift inside of me; my warrior was there, and waiting to be called into being. I asked for him to show himself.

"_I am a true son of the sons of Taha Aki; I am the only son of my Alpha. I call forth my spirit warrior and ask that he show to me my wolf, as Quileute tradition holds true for my kind."_

Suddenly my body shook. Everything happened so quickly I could not process all of it; but one moment I was William Black, the human son of Ephraim and the next moment I had exploded into the form of my wolf. It was disorienting, but thrilling; I knew that my father had wanted to spare me this fate, but I welcomed it. Since I was a small boy I had wanted to be like him.

I looked down at myself; my paws were **massive**. I turned around, first to the left and then to the right, admiring my tail. My fur was not russet, that was the Alpha color; but it was a shade or two lighter than that with russet tips that I could see on my tail and paws. I was so excited; I forgot my spirit warrior for a moment and romped around, leaping and rolling and chasing my tail.

Until another voice spoke to me in my head. _"Bill, this is your Alpha. BE STILL, AND WAIT FOR ME TO COME TO YOU."_

I froze; that thing again. I'd forgotten about that, being a wolf meant never being able to disobey my father again. I sighed and curled up on the ground, waiting for him to arrive.

**EphPOV**

After I'd phased, I settled down at the campsite to wait. The boys needed their space, but I was hoping that I'd sense something changing in them before they phased. I certainly would afterwards; they'd be part of my pack then. I knew that I might need to wait for a while, so I didn't allow myself to worry about the process. The Rez was fine; I'd checked in with both Levi and Quil when they were on duty so I just took the opportunity to be at one with my nature. I didn't even phase back to eat; I just hunted for my food.

After about three days, I could feel a change in the atmosphere. It was coming from the direction Bill had left in; his wolf was very near to emerging. And then, before I could gather myself, I felt his presence in the pack mind. He was shocked, but in a good way, and playing around like a Labrador puppy. That needed to change; he couldn't be seen romping like a dog in the open. I Alpha ordered him to settle down, and then I took off towards him.

When I arrived, he was curled up on the ground rubbing his snout with his paws, his ears twitching. He was a magnificent wolf, paler in color than me, but with my russet color as points on his ears tail snout and paws. I spoke to him through our connection. _"How are you Bill? Are you OK with this?"_

"_Never better sir; it came to me much more easily than I thought it might."_

"_You are the son of the Alpha; it is to be expected that you would have less trouble than the others. You may call me Dad when we are alone by the way, but when we are on pack business you must call me Ephraim or sir."_

"_I'll remember that, Dad."_

"_Can you change back? You need to think of yourself as being human again, doing human things. Try to do it now, if you can't I will do it and gather your things. You need to return to the camp; your quest is complete. I will remain phased; I need to check on the others afterwards."_

He struggled with it for a few minutes; and then, just as I was going to change back myself, he shuddered and his wolf retreated, to be replaced by the boy I knew and loved more than my own life.

He went over to his campsite, picked up his clothing and put it back on. Then he packed up his things and walked over to me. And, for one last time, he climbed on my back and I ran with him back to the base camp.

On the way I felt a couple of other waverings in my mind; there were others ready to go. My guess would be Quil III and Levi's oldest; it made sense that sons of pack members would find it easier. I needed to check on them and I knew that Bill was fine where he was; we were miles from anywhere and he was an accomplished camper. And of course he could phase if he needed to.

I set off and in due course I was able to do for Quil and Douglas what I had for Bill; be there before or just after they first phased, and assist them with learning how to phase back so they could manage both transformations without me.

That left four; my stepchildren and Jonathan and Charles Uley. I was certain that Daniel and Charles would phase, less so about Peter and Jonathan. Time to call in the reinforcements.

I found Levi on patrol, and spoke to him. _"Would you please contact Carlisle and request that he and Jasper return to our camp when they are free. I have need of their help to tip a couple of the boys over the edge."_

"_Don't know why you're doing this. They're better off without that help."_

"_All right then. May I add babysitting future wolves to your list of duties?"_

"_No. I have enough to do. I'll make the call."_

"_Thank you Levi. By the way, Bill, Quil and Douglas will be returning to La Push; their quests have been successful."_

"_My son has phased? I must have missed that; I have not felt him in my mind. I can't wait to see him again."_

**JPOV**

So herewe were, back at shapeshifter basic training. I had four candidates to look at and work with; two looked promising, the other two less so. Carlisle was emitting fascination; nothing surprising about that, anything new was a source of wonder to him.

They were looking at me, and not with a friendly eye. I couldn't say that I was too fond of them either; I shook my head, still disbelieving that I was helping my enemies to become stronger.

I thought about the emotions that would have the best effect. Obviously not fear or dread, or anything subdued. I needed to make them furiously angry, angry enough to become the wolves that they were meant to be.

I channeled my own annoyance at having to be here, increased its intensity and power, and pushed it onto the four boys. I was careful not to direct any of it at Ephraim; that would not end well for me.

Then I stood back and watched, carefully monitoring the atmosphere around us. Daniel was the first to show signs of stress. He became visibly agitated; he began to sweat, he shuddered and struggled.

We stepped back, making room around him and each of the others. His struggles intensified; and then in a process that seemed to take minutes, but was more like seconds, he stood in front of us as a wolf. His fur was pale grey, not a color that the pack already had, but it looked impressive.

I kept working. Ephraim busied himself with Daniel and was eventually able to help him to control his transitions and then to have him rest a while and eat. Charles went over the edge too; as an Uley he had plenty of anger in reserve. In time he stood before us as a dark grey wolf, but without the black tips that Douglas had.

Peter and Jonathan were another matter. No matter how hard I tried I could not get them to phase; maybe they were too young, maybe they were too placid, or maybe they would never become wolves at all. I could only hope so.

Ephraim returned to human form and walked over to me. "Are you going to be able to do anything with these boys at all?"

I had to admit I couldn't. "No, I don't think so, they are just not ready yet; if they'll ever be."

He shrugged. "That's fine then. I think that five new wolves are more than enough for now. Thank you for your help, I'll take it from here."

More than enough, I'd say; we were outnumbered. I didn't know what we were in for now but I didn't see how it could be good. Damn Carlisle and his happy home to hell. Thank God Edward wasn't here to read my thoughts. I looked at my leader; he nodded and we departed, me gladly, him reluctantly.

.


	18. Chapter 18

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**A/N: Chapter warning - there are battles and character deaths in this chapter, and vampire dismemberment. Please don't read if this is an issue for you.**

**1955**

**CPOV**

I was out hunting with Esme when I came across three nomads. For a quiet part of the world, we had our share of vampire visitations. But I'd never been a fighter; and I thought that for once in my life I'd try to just live and let live.

The leader was a tall blonde man, scruffy, with dirty blonde hair. Vampirism was supposed to enhance our appearance; so he must have been ugly as a human, he was barely passable now. And there was something even uglier about his demeanor; he seemed almost feral.

The others were a dreadlocked European male, and a redheaded female. She had a crazed look about her, as if she was constantly trying to work out how to get away from where she was. It was unusual for so many vampires to have banded together to wander the world; it made me wonder if there was some other purpose to their association.

The leader looked me up and down, assessing me and curling his lip. He sneered, "Yellow eyes? Since when has one of our kind had yellow eyes?"

"Since I was changed and made the choice never to drink from a human. My name is Carlisle Cullen, by the way." I extended my hand to him to shake it; he did not return the gesture, nor did he identify himself. He just continued in his rude dismissive way.

"Drinking from animals makes for a weak vampire. I don't know why anyone would do it. Do you claim this as your territory?"

I needed to warn these vampires off. "Yes it is, and although I don't hunt humans at all I still claim territorial privileges. I have resided here for the past twenty years. What are your names and what, if any, are your intentions here?"

The blonde gave me a challenging look, asserting a right he knew he didn't have. "I am James; my companions are Victoria and Laurent. We're just passing through. Unless of course we find something interesting around here; something that would make us stay."

"I'd advise you to keep going. This is not the best place for red-eyed vampires to be."

The redhead piped up. She had a weird sing-song voice, like a child's. "And why might that be? We go where we please."

I couldn't say why. That would betray the secret of the Quileute. But I could say something vague. I tried again. "This is a place where others of your kind have arrived, but not left. We are not the only potential enemies you might find here. Much as I'd rather that you respect human life, I realize they're your feeding preference. So I'd ask that you go on your way and not hunt humans until you have reached a large city."

They turned and went to leave. James turned his head to look over his shoulder at us. "We'll be on our way then. Nice to meet you. Maybe we'll see you again soon..."

For once I wished that Edward had been with us; a mind reader would be useful. I was torn; my need to avoid conflict was warring with my desire to protect my home and the lives of the people here. Not only was life sacrosanct; this lot probably weren't too discreet in their hunting behavior either. I wasn't sure whether these vampires would leave the Peninsula without taking human life; but could I kill first and ask questions later? I knew what Ephraim would want; but did it have to involve ending every vampire who arrived here? Over time that choice, exercised too often, would draw attention to this place.

I mulled over my options on the way back to the house; Esme and I finished our hunt and then returned and told the others about our encounter, sparing no details. Jasper let it be known in no uncertain terms that I'd made a mistake; conceding precious time and the advantage to vampires who might take lives and end our existence here. So, as in previous times, we went to the treaty line to try to find a patrolling wolf or two to get the word out; me feeling for once in my life like a prize idiot.

**Eph POV**

Since the five new wolves had joined the pack two years ago my hands had been full. The three of us elder wolves had spent a lot of time training the newer ones and working with them; they had adapted well to their new roles.

The only issue was the pack mind. The pecking order was not a problem; the boys did as they were told and they knew that if they didn't, compliance was an Alpha order away. But the capacity I had as Alpha to shut my mind off from the others, especially Bill, was not one the others shared.

Quil had nothing to be concerned about there but I daresay Charles and Douglas were learning things about their father that they'd rather not know. I could of course have scheduled patrols so that they weren't on with their father at the same time; but that was something that none of them really wanted, they liked being in the forest together.

The two youngest, who hadn't phased at the time of the others, still hadn't. They were very young then; even now they were only 15 or so. It seemed to me that they would either transition very soon, or not at all, and the entire tribe watched them very carefully.

I didn't patrol myself as much as I used to; I was 40 now, I'd been doing this for decades. But during the day, when the boys were all at school it fell to one of us older wolves to cover our treaty lines; and I happened to be out and about when a familiar sickly sweet smell wafted into and burned my nostrils. Carlisle.

He was waiting for me at our, dare I call it usual, meeting place. And he had Edward and Jasper with him. That made things easier; I could remain a wolf for this encounter. Their vampire noses wrinkled as I approached; not that I cared.

They looked at each other; trying to decide who would speak no doubt. In the past it had always been Carlisle; but he had a shifty, nervous look about him today, like he had done something monumentally stupid and didn't want to confess to it. In the end Jasper, who looked grimly determined, spoke for him.

"Carlisle and Esme came across three human drinkers when they were out hunting a while ago. There was a blonde named James, and his companions Laurent and Victoria. They were warned not to linger around here; but Carlisle is not certain that they'll leave. I'm sorry to have to involve you in this, had there been one or two more of us there we wouldn't need to have this conversation." He glanced at Carlisle, rolling his eyes.

That I could believe.

It seemed to me that both Forks and La Push would need protection; who knew whether these Cold Ones would leave immediately, or at all, or whether lives were at risk. Now that there were eight of us and seven of them we should have been a match for any bunch of nomads, but we had to act quickly.

We would need to split the wolves up and basically pair them with coven members so that the whole area would have coverage within the pack mind, and we could see where to concentrate our energies. I hated to have to do that, especially with the youngsters, but I had no option.

Edward listened in to my thoughts and conveyed them to the others at vampire speed. Carlisle nodded in silent agreement and then asked Jasper for his take on it. This was also a newish development; Carlisle had always been very much the leader before, but on matters concerned with fighting he seemed happy to defer to Jasper, or the Major, as I had heard him be called. I made a mental note to ask about that someday, and Edward glared at me.

Jasper stood head down, legs shoulder width apart and arms crossed; considering his choices. He finally looked up, made eye contact with me and began to outline his plan. "I agree with your idea to split the wolves up and use the pack mind for communication. We do also need to cover both towns. Port Angeles is just too far, but I don't think they'll go there anyway. There are fifteen of us; we should go in groups of three so we match them for numbers. The three to stay at the house and keep an eye on our land will be Carlisle, Esme and Quil II. You will need a team on the Rez that can be Daniel, Douglas and yourself. I'd like to take Quil III with me and Alice to Forks. That leaves Edward, Emmett, Rosalie, Levi, Bill and Charles. I think that they can be in the forest running the treaty lines and on either side; Emmett with Rosalie and Levi and Edward with Charles and Bill."

Carlisle then added his contribution to the discussion. "I'm pleased with that; I think it will work well. No matter where they are found, if it is in a place that threatens humans, a wolf will be there to share the news in their minds with the other teams. And if they come to the house, I will speak to them again and try to persuade them to leave. We need to meet again; so why not come back here at midnight, if we're done by then."

I was reasonably happy with that arrangement; clearly Jasper wanted to minimize distractions by keeping the mated couples together, whilst at the same time splitting us up as needed. He'd also come up with a good mix of youth, fighting ability and experience for his teams. Since time was of the essence I decided that we would go with Jasper's plans and sort the rest out later. I would go and get the other wolves who were needed beyond the Rez, namely all but Dan and Douglas, and send them here as soon as I could. I caught Edward's eye; he looked at me and inclined his head, then whispered to Jasper.

I turned and started to run back to the Rez; there were no other minds linked in with my own at the moment so I howled to raise the alarm. Levi and Quil II were soon in my head; I passed on what had happened. I told Quil and Levi to collect Quil III, Charles and Bill and head back to the meeting place where the Cullens would be waiting for them. They also needed to ask Dan and Douglas to wait back at the Rez for me to arrive. I was going to collect them and start patrolling and locking down the Rez.

They were waiting for me outside of the school gates; a palpable sense of excitement buzzing through their bodies. As we made our way to the edge of the forest, we passed Peter and Jonathan. This was no time for them to be wandering around; I looked at Peter and jerked my head in the direction of home. He understood me; taking Jonathan with him he headed off to the house. I could only hope that he would keep Amelia inside.

After the two had phased and joined me on patrol, we headed to the bottom end of the Rez, and then began to work our way back up north again. Suddenly, we heard a loud scream and the sounds of yelping, howling and growling. At the same time as that two new pack minds appeared in my head. I was confused; there were new wolves somewhere, but where, and why?

Their minds were panicked, and their thoughts were a jumbled mess. I couldn't make anything out. I needed to get to the new wolves, and quickly, but before I could order them to stay behind me, Dan and Douglas had taken off in the direction of the noise. They weren't faster than me, but they had a head start; I couldn't catch them. I followed; and what I saw when I got to my house made my fur stand on end.

The vampires Carlisle had talked about were **here**. And the two extra wolves that had appeared in my mind just before were between them and my house, trying to keep them at bay. Then it hit me; Peter and Jonathan had finally phased, right in the teeth of an invasion of red-eyed Cold Ones. They were too inexperienced, they wouldn't win the fight.

Amelia was the target; James was trying to escape the pack and capture her. Since she wasn't a wolf her blood would smell sweet to him. All three of them looked shocked; clearly Carlisle hadn't told them about us.

We could use that; but before I got the chance to pull my boys back and give my orders Dan went straight for them, Douglas hot on his heels. He was acting on instinct; he saw red eyes and his mother and brother and he wasn't going to let anyone take them. Douglas' cousin was there too; he followed where Dan led. They knocked Peter and Jonathan out of the way, and attacked. The redhead took off; heading off the Rez and towards Forks.

I launched myself at James. He had his arms around Daniel; the attack had wounded him but not enough to stop him. Before I could get there, I heard a sickening crack. Daniel's ribcage was broken, he'd been crushed. He dropped to the ground and didn't move. Furious, I barreled into the vampire; knocked him to the ground and then grabbed his head in my jaws and ripped it clean off, tossing it several feet away.

The headless torso twitched; it was disgusting. I ripped the arms and legs off and tossed them around in all different directions, then went to help Douglas. He had the other male, Laurent, pinned to the ground; but he heard me coming towards him and was distracted for a moment, and that was enough for Laurent. He struggled, freed himself, grabbed Douglas, and then snapped his neck.

That was the last thing he ever did. I finished him off as I had James, and then phased back so I could light the fire and burn the motherfuckers. Never did those purple flames look so good to me; and never did the victory cost so much.

Amelia was safe; she was being guarded in a manner of speaking by two very scared, very new wolves. So new they hadn't any idea how to resume their human forms. And between her and me were two bodies, and one of them was her son.

As we watched, the two wolves' spirit warriors left their bodies for the afterlife. Without their wolves, the boys were only that; boys. They lay on the ground in the human forms, broken and lifeless.

This was Amelia's worst fear realized; a supernatural price extracted from her child. A threat averted, but lives lost in the process. She ran to Daniel and threw herself over his body, grabbing him and holding him to her, wailing and sobbing hysterically. Peter and Jonathan sat on their haunches and whimpered.

I kneeled down, and gathered Amelia up into my arms, holding her to me while she cried as though her heart would break. I wanted to stay with her, but I couldn't. I had to sort my new pack members out, and alert the others to the trouble headed their way. I tilted her head up so that her eyes met mine. "Sweetheart, you know that there's nothing I want to do more than help you through this. But there are some things that I need to do before I can be with you tonight. Go home, and when Peter and Jonathan are their normal selves again I'll send them to you. And **do not**, under **any** circumstances, leave the house again until I'm home." I kissed her goodbye, and watched as she went inside the house.

Back in wolf form, I got a message through to Quil III and through him to Jasper, that there was a Cold One headed straight for them, and they should get reinforcements. Victoria was a slippery customer; the more numbers they had, the better.

Then I spoke to my new wolves in their minds; they were terrified. Not of me; they'd seen me in this form before today, but of what they were and what they'd seen. They'd exploded into these bodies at the first whiff of vampire; found themselves trying to keep loved ones safe from harm, and then had to watch as their brother and cousin died in the attempt to keep them safe. It would be a lot for anyone to take in; for them, it was too much.

It would be hours before they'd be calm enough to even try to regain human form; I wasn't even sure if it was advisable. Best to stay like that in case of further trouble; I ordered them to stay put, while I took care of our dead.

**JPOV**

We were on our way to Forks when all of a sudden, Quil became very agitated. He shuddered, and then appeared before me briefly as the boy that he was.

"The redhead's on her way to Forks; we need to kill her, before she harms anyone. The other two are dead, killed on the Rez, but so are two of our pack members. Please, we need help, I'll phase back now and make sure we have it, this has to end here and now."

So Victoria was headed our way; and the other two were dead, killed I supposed by Ephraim. Remind me not to get on his wrong side. Quil had asked for Levi's group to come and the others probably would too now that the rest of the danger had passed.

We were near the outskirts of the town when we saw her up ahead. I looked around me; the sun was beginning to set and there was nobody around, we could do this and not be seen by any humans. If we were, I'd just dazzle them anyway. I could see Em and Rose approaching from the west with Levi; it wouldn't be long before Edward and his group arrived. She was near a home, too near. I wasn't as familiar with the townspeople as Carlisle was; but I thought that was the Swan residence.

Molly Swan lived there together with her parents; she was a teenager I'd seen around. I didn't know much about them really, humans didn't interest me. I'd not taken up Carlisle's idea to go to school; I was still adapting to life as an animal drinker and the suggestion was too ridiculous for words. But she seemed a nice girl, and there weren't going to be any deaths on my watch. Elusive or not, I had an answer for Victoria.

Quil and I were running as fast as we could towards the Swan house; Alice following closely behind. Molly emerged from the front door, not knowing that she was in mortal danger. Then everything happened at once; Victoria lunged for her and Quil got between them, knocking Molly out of the way in the process. She fell to the ground screaming and he crouched over her, protecting her with his body. She was terrified, as well she might be, but Quil was gentle with her. He was a wolf, not a vampire, so he couldn't purr; but he rested his massive head on her chest and looked into her eyes, whimpering softly and trying to soothe her as best he could.

Levi, Em, Alice, Rose and I surrounded Victoria. I could see her planning her escape; she was clearly gifted in that way, but the numbers we had were overwhelming. Levi was feral; snarling and growling, he wanted this kill so I let him have his head. I patted my jeans pocket; I had a lighter there, we were good to go. I could still hear Molly in the background; she was still obviously frightened but she was quieter than she had been.

Levi leapt in the air and hit Victoria square in the chest, knocking her to the ground. He opened his massive jaws and tore her head clean off; then tossed it aside, jerking his head sideways. He stayed where he was then, snarling and growling. I tossed my lighter to Alice; she caught it and then picked the head up and went with Rose into the forest to start a fire. Em and I set about dismembering what was left; we removed Victoria's arms and legs in short order and placed them all far apart so that they couldn't reconstitute while the fire got going.

Before too long we'd been able to take the pieces off to the forest and toss them into the flames. The purple smoke that started wafting into the air was an echo of the other column I'd seen rising over in the direction of the Reservation.

I dropped onto my heels for a moment; and looked to see how Quil was. He was...distracted. He hadn't moved an inch since I'd last checked, and he was gazing into Molly's eyes as if Forks was a desert and she the oasis. I'd not seen the like before. Was this how wolves chose their mates?

**EphPOV**

Shit. Fuck. Shit.

Oh for an end to this day. Red-eyes, battles, deaths, new wolves and now an imprint.

I saw it in Quil's mind as clear as day; he didn't know what had happened to him but I did. Quil had imprinted on a hokwát; and this was going to cause the mother of all headaches for the tribe. There was just no way that the girl's parents would allow her to marry a Quileute; we weren't white. And our Elders wouldn't be too enthralled either. The situation seemed unsolvable; but it was a problem for another day.

Hours later, I had finally been able to get Peter and Jonathan back as their human selves; they were now fed and tucked up in bed. I needed to bring this day to an end; I headed to the treaty line for the debriefing meeting.

**A/N: During the week this story was featured as the Wolfpack Wednesday choice for July on the Fictionators site at h**** rec/gods-and-wolves-by-bmitw/**

**Go visit them; it's an awesome site!**


	19. Chapter 19

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story. Also thanks to Sparkling Fae and HK for pre-reading this chapter, in particular as regards the racial issues raised in it.

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to HK, who knows all too well what it is like to be Native American, and kd, who is a fan of (young) Old Quil.**

**1955**

**QPOV**

I didn't know what had happened to me. I had knocked the girl, Molly Swan I thought her name was, out of the way of the redheaded vampire. And then, because of my size, I decided that the best way to protect her after that was to cover her with my body.

She had to be terrified, of me as much as anyone. She had no idea that I was even human; I'd run into Forks as a wolf. I decided to try and settle her back down, it was the least I could do. I rested my head, as massive as it was, on her chest, and tried to come up with some noises that would soothe her.

I whimpered, and chuffed a bit. I lolled my tongue out to the side of my mouth, but I didn't know if that made things better or worse. I could hear her heartbeat; it seemed to have settled down a bit, so I took a risk and looked into her eyes.

And then, the world stopped turning. There was no Forks; there were no vampires, just Molly and me. I gazed into her eyes for what seemed like forever, but was probably only some seconds. And in that time she had gone from an innocent teenage girl I was sworn to protect, to the most important person in my life.

I wasn't sure what this was, what was happening to me. My father and mother met and married in the usual way. So, I was sure, did Uncle Ephraim and Levi and their wives. I would speak to them about it, but for now I just wanted to look at Molly, and never stop.

Her eyes looked back at me, and they widened. Whether it was because of something she saw in my expression, or because to her I was still a predator, I wasn't sure. I needed to become human again, but when I did I would be naked. That was unacceptable; Molly would be shocked and heaven help me if I was seen by her parents.

Emmett solved my problem by removing his shirt and holding it out for me to grab. Jasper and some of the others had dealt with Victoria, and they had returned. I could see Jasper out of the corner of my eye, he was staring at me. Molly was safe now, so I moved away from her, staying close to the ground on all fours. Then I transformed, turning my back to Molly and pulling the shirt on before turning back to face her. It was awkward, but better than the alternative.

She stared at me. "You're from La Push aren't you? Who are you?"

I swallowed, and looked at her pleadingly. I'd do anything for her, but it was far too early for her to feel the weight of that. "I'm Quil Ateara the third, son of Quil Ateara Jr. You're right, I am from La Push, and I suppose there are some questions you want to ask me, huh?"

"You could say that. That trick you did where you were a wolf and then you weren't; how did you do that?"

This was what I was afraid of. To most, the supernatural world did not exist. Even the Cullens had been able to walk a line of being human, but not, and were accepted. They had the advantage of not changing form though. "That was no trick; I'm a wolf, a shapeshifter. I'd like to tell you more about that, but I'm not allowed to. If you'd come to a bonfire at La Push with me, you could learn more there. I'm sure that my Uncle Ephraim would be okay with that."

"I'd like to, that'd be really cool, but I'd have to ask my parents for permission first."

"Then I'll come back to see you before then and introduce myself. They might be happier to let you go if they've met me. Would that be okay with you? I won't come and visit if you don't want me to."

Molly thought for a minute. "I don't know about that...I know my father won't give permission if he hasn't met you, I'm not sure that he will if he has. But you should come anyway to meet him and I'll talk to him."

"Alright then I will. I'd really like to stay and talk to you some more, but as you can see I'm not really dressed for it. And I don't want your mother or father to see me like this. So I'll just say bye for now, I can't wait to see you again. Oh and by the way, please don't tell anyone about what you've seen today."

"Don't worry, I won't. Nobody would believe me anyway." Molly shook her head, as if she was trying to dislodge the sights and sounds of the past hour from her mind.

I slipped into the forest and phased back again, running back to La Push with my heart full of my feelings for Molly, and my head full of her face. Not even finding out what had happened to Dan and Douglas could shake my mood. She was everything to me.

Once I was back at the Rez they told me what had happened. I'd imprinted on Molly, she was chosen by my ancestors to be my soulmate. I would be whatever she wanted me to be, and I hoped like hell she'd want me for her steady. Uncle Ephraim explained to me that when the imprint first happened, he saw it in my mind through our pack link.

I went to her house the next day; I started to introduce myself but before I could finish, or ask after Molly the door was slammed in my face. The same thing happened the next three times I went to the house. The fourth time, Dad and Uncle Ephraim went too. They weren't too keen to go, but I begged them to. Molly was very important to me and I would do anything to have her be my girl.

We went to the Swan house when we knew they'd all be home. I knocked on the door, and waited for it to be opened. Molly's father opened it.

"You again! You filthy Indian, how many times do I have to tell you that you're not wanted here?"

Uncle Ephraim stepped forward. "If I might have a word with you sir, I'd like to discuss this with you man to man. Has Molly told you about young Quil here at all?"

Mr. Swan's head craned upwards and he stepped back a fraction. I doubted that he'd ever seen a man as large as Uncle Ephraim. "What if she has? I've made it clear that I don't want that boy around here, so what are you doing here? Are you threatening me?"

"Nothing of the kind Mr. Swan. But if we might come in we can talk about this as reasonable people. I have Quil's father with me, we can answer for his character. But really, it's not appropriate to be having this conversation on your doorstep."

Mr. Swan's shoulders slumped a bit. I was only a kid but it seemed to me that after puffing himself up to try to set us back on our feet the wind seemed to go out of him. I smiled; my uncle had that effect on a lot of people. The door was opened to us and we went inside and sat down on the lounge in the living room. Mr. Swan sat opposite us in his easy chair.

There was an awkward silence for a few minutes, and then my uncle spoke. "I'm Ephraim Black, Chief of the Quileute tribe. This is Quil Ateara Jr, and the boy is his son Quil III. We've come here to try to see if you'll give Molly your permission to go to one of our bonfires; young Quil is very taken with her."

Mr. Swan pricked his ears up at the name Ephraim Black; I supposed my uncle was well known beyond La Push, it would be amazing if he wasn't. It didn't prevent him from pressing his case though. "Well that's as may be, but Quil is not a white boy. I don't want him spending time with my daughter."

Uncle Ephraim sat very straight in his chair, and he glared at Mr. Swan. The atmosphere in the room changed too, all of a sudden I was feeling what it might be like to anger my Alpha, and I didn't like it much.

"Let me get this straight. You disapprove of Quil's interest in Molly, not because he is a delinquent, or from a bad family, but because his skin is darker than hers. Is that right?"

"Um...er...but...it's not like that, I'm not a racist."

"Aren't you? Then what's your problem? I see a boy who likes a girl and wants to get to know her, and a girl who isn't allowed to see him because he's not white. Have you asked Molly what she wants? Maybe we could talk to her now."

The staircase creaked just then, clearly we weren't alone. Four heads turned to see Molly come creeping down the stairs. Her father didn't look happy to see her, but before he could say anything to her she spoke, pleading with him. "Dad, please, we talked about this, I want to go to the bonfire with Quil. And I don't see why I can't; it's nobody's business but ours who I see."

Mr. Swan looked around the room and swallowed, gulping. "You don't understand; if it were known around here that I let my daughter go out with an Indian boy I'd have trouble from my neighbors, the folks in town and from my Lodge at the very least. And you can go back to your room young lady."

Molly looked like she wanted to protest, but she started back up the stairs. Ours eyes met, and I smiled at her, then just before she disappeared from view she smiled back at me. It made me so happy; perhaps she liked me too.

Uncle Ephraim rolled his eyes. "We prefer the term Quileute. I can't help you with your friends; people are what they are, but perhaps in time that will change. If it will help, you could ask Dr. Cullen about us. I'm sure he'd vouch for our good character both to you and to others in town."

Crafty Uncle Ephraim. He knew Carlisle was seen as a God in these parts, if he said you were okay then you were. He also knew that Carlisle wouldn't sell us out; he couldn't and hope to stay here.

"Dr. Cullen? You know him?" Mr. Swan seemed impressed.

"Yes indeed, I've known him for nearly twenty years, we've worked together on some projects from time to time, you know how it is."

"Have you? What kind of projects?" Mr. Swan was all ears.

I had no idea how Uncle Ephraim was going to answer that, dismembering vampires was not the sort of project a hokwát should ever know about. The room went very quiet; I wasn't the only person wondering that.

"We've worked together to advance relations between the Quileute and the townspeople of Forks. Dr. Cullen has been a valuable ally in helping us to improve our lives. And he has also given medical assistance to us when we've needed it."

"I see. Well, I will speak to Dr. Cullen and if he vouches for young Quil I'll reconsider my position. At the very least he can help me with the problems I might have with the neighbors."

Yeah I bet he could. He and his family had been dazzling them for twenty years. Compared to that a little bit of schmoozing was child's play. I snorted, and Dad and Uncle Ephraim both quirked their eyebrows at me. The next phase would be interesting... I swallowed, and looked the other way.

We all stood. Dad and Uncle Ephraim put their hands out to shake with Mr. Swan's, and he returned the gesture. That was a start at least. "We'll wait to hear from you then, but we hope you'll give your permission. It's completely up to you, but we don't see the harm in letting Molly come out to La Push just the once. And maybe if that goes well Quil can come and see her here in your home under supervision. I know, as Quil's uncle, that he'll be nothing but completely respectful to her, that's the way he is."

And the way Uncle Ephraim would have me be. Even if I didn't want to worship Molly, and I did, he had ways of handing me my ass that Mr. Swan couldn't imagine.

"I'll think about it. That's as much as I can promise at the moment."

"Goodbye then, it was nice meeting you."

"Same to you. I'll see you out. Have a nice day."

A few days later, after speaking with Dr. Cullen I supposed, Molly's folks decided to let her visit the Reservation, but only for the bonfire. She came the following weekend, and learned all there was about me to learn. She was my imprint, so she was entitled to know who and what I was, and she'd seen my wolf already so there was no point in fudging things.

I was scared that she'd reject me, and run screaming back to Forks. But she took it in her stride; to her it was beyond cool that she could have a steady who could do the things I did. Made her ducktail haircut obsessed classmates look like the boys they were, with their combs and leather jackets.

**1961**

**EphPOV**

Today was a special day in La Push. As I sat outside my house with my grandson Billy on my knee, cooing and gurgling as he played with a little wooden toy I'd made for him, I thought back over the past few years, and the good and bad things that had taken place.

Ever since Young Quil had imprinted on Molly Swan, the tribe had been caught up in an issue which had taken the Council every ounce of the diplomatic skills it possessed. I was the Chief now; my predecessor had passed on to be with his ancestors, and so the task fell mainly to Quil's father and to me to try to resolve it.

I'd never seen an imprint before, but there was no doubt it was powerful. As deeply as I had loved in my life, there was nothing I could remember to match the strength of Quil's adoration of Molly. And it was far too late for me to ever experience that; I was sure that if I had to stay a wolf, I'd lose Amelia eventually and that would be that for me. Besides, it was believed by the Elders that Alphas didn't imprint. I envied Quil that.

I shook my head; Quil was so young and naive back then. He'd had to leave her house of course the day he'd imprinted on her. He couldn't be seen by her parents when they returned home in a shirt and nothing else. But if he thought that meeting him would encourage them to allow Molly to spend time with him, he was sorely mistaken.

That whole day was a mess for Quil. Molly's first experience of him had been as a wolf; snapping and snarling in his attempt to protect her from Victoria's attack. Even after he settled, covering her with his body and trying to soothe her she still had no idea that he was even human.

He was caught in a bind; remain a wolf, and have the girl he'd imprinted on not know who or what he was, or phase back and have her see him naked. He hadn't brought anything with him; he'd planned to return to the Rez as he was.

So he took a risk and let her see him as the (barely covered) young man that he was. And she was taken with him too, once she got over her initial fright. Her parents were another matter though. They slammed the door of their two-storey house in his face, and that didn't change until Quil's father and I went with him to see them.

I didn't really want to go, because I was the Chief of the tribe now and didn't want to be seen to be applying pressure to anyone on what was a private matter, and also because I didn't look as old as I was now, and explaining why was out of the question. It was part of our curse that we didn't look like other men as we aged.

But on the other hand, doing nothing was also not an option. The problem with imprinting was the need for the wolf to be near his imprint at all times. Staying away from Molly was making Quil physically sick, and he was beginning to spend time sleeping in his wolf form in the forest near her house. That couldn't last, it was only a matter of time before he or his tracks were seen, and he was hunted down.

We were able to make a breakthrough, with some judicious name-dropping and assurances of good faith. Using Carlisle's name stuck in my craw, but he was our shortcut to acceptance in Forks, and to his credit he backed us up. I think the scientist in him wanted to see an imprint in action. Jasper had told him about it and he was very curious about wolf mating versus what vampires did.

Molly went to the bonfire, and far from being frightened of Quil, she was impressed with him and what he could do. It didn't hurt that he was huge, strong and very good looking; phasing had its benefits.

From there Quil built his relationship with Molly slowly and steadily. It took years, but finally he was able to be with her as her boyfriend. Her parents suffered badly from their decision to let her be with Quil; as solid as they had become in their relationship, he was still a Quileute and she was not. Carlisle helped there too, but it took a long time for Forks to accept their relationship and some residents never would.

And it was not just Molly's family and the people of Forks who had a problem with their relationship; the tribe were far from keen on having one of their members involved with a hokwát. To be honest, if it hadn't been for the imprint I doubted that I would have been able to carry the day with the Quileute either. As Chief, I was one voice on the Council, albeit the most influential. As Alpha, I could see in his mind the torment Quil suffered when he was away from Molly and it hardened my resolve to bring them together.

Eventually Molly's parents were won over by Quil's devotion and steadfastness, a side effect of the imprint, although it was not in his nature to be anything else. Molly fell in love over time with the same things that her parents saw; his total devotion to her and his willingness to be what she needed him to be.

There was one issue though that the Swans were adamant about; they would not give the young sweethearts permission to marry. So they had waited until they were both 21, and today was the day of the wedding.

Bill was going to be the best man. He had met and married Judith Peterson a couple of years ago, and they had two children to date, Nora and Billy. Judith had that look about her, I suspected that she might be pregnant again, but Bill hadn't said anything, so I didn't either. Judith wasn't Bill's imprint, but in all ways they were as happy as two people could be. And busy giving Amelia and me grandchildren. Life was sweet.

Levi was also a grandfather. Charles had married Clara Zollanger; they had a son Thomas and another one on the way. My stepson Peter was married to Julia Littlesea, and Jonathan Uley was married and a father also. Quil was the last of his generation to marry, the circumstances of his courtship had made it so, but today was a day of completion for all of us. It was a day when as a tribe and a pack we could move on to the next chapter of our lives as wolves.

I stood up, kissed and cuddled my grandson, handed little Billy to his mother and went inside to dress for the wedding.

**A/N: I would like to make the point that I do not tolerate racism in any way, shape or form. However, the relationship between Quil III and Molly Swan, which is canon, would have meant a mixed marriage, and in the 1950s that was not tolerated in Western societies. And to this day, Native Americans and other minorities continue to suffer from discrimination and ill-treatment. It is my intention as an author to be as sensitive as possible to these issues, whilst remaining true to my story concept and canon where it is incorporated into it.**


	20. Chapter 20

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**A/N: Wilkie Collins said in 1870 "I begin to believe in only one civilizing influence—the discovery one of these days of a destructive agent so terrible that War shall mean annihilation and men's fears will force them to keep the peace". And a reminder that as far-fetched as the subject of this chapter is, the possibility of it is canon.**

**1961**

**JPOV**

I was in the living room, sprawled across Esme's perfectly white leather sofa, my cowboy booted feet hanging off the armrest at one end. Alice had gone on a shopping trip to Seattle, and Emmett & Rose were away for a few days fulfilling Ephraim's wish that we sometimes hunt further afield. Whether they were spending the whole time hunting was doubtful though, my God those two were noisy.

Esme was gardening, Carlisle at work, Edward playing music in his room. Fucking Debussy again; some Hank Williams would be much better. I was reading and contemplating life here in Forks; as a family, we'd all heard about the wedding in La Push today.

Quil Ateara III and Molly Swan were finally going to start their life together after years of persistence in the face of opposition. I'd been there at the beginning; watching bemused as Quil imprinted on Molly.

As a means for a wolf to find his mate, it was a far more powerful and targeted process than vampire mating; if I lost Alice I'd be distraught and maybe even suicidal but I could get past it. It was believed though that a wolf would not survive the death of his imprint.

Carlisle found the whole thing fascinating; certainly the emotions that I sensed were different to anything else I'd ever seen, but I had issues with it. This rash of marriages and births meant only one thing as far as I was concerned; if we stayed, and there was no persuading Carlisle on that score, then in about fifteen years or so there'd be another wolf pack.

And then we'd be outnumbered. As principled as Ephraim Black was, he was one man. There were any number of ways in which the treaty could be broken, whether accidentally or on purpose. If at the time the treaty was breached we were outnumbered, we could all be killed.

It reminded me of the situation in the outside world; a Cold War, with a nuclear standoff and Mutually Assured Destruction. The only way to ensure that any treaty was actually adhered to was to make it impossible for a breach of it to be survivable by the breaching party.

I found myself torn between two impulses. The first and most important, to protect my mate and also myself from harm. The second to obey the wishes of my leader and remain within the Cullen household.

I got up, and ran up the stairs to my room. I was starting to come up with a plan, and I wanted to be sure I would be by myself for a while to mull over it. I sat down at my desk, leaned back with my hands behind my head, put my feet up and crossed them. And then I started to think in earnest.

The treaty forbade the biting of humans, for obvious reasons. Ephraim had known that quite apart from feeding from humans, which was unacceptable to him morally, biting without feeding could lead to the creation of a new vampire. But what if there was a way to create a vampire or a creature similar to one, without biting? Then we could increase our numbers without breaking the treaty.

I'd never heard of such a thing but then I was young in vampire terms and my existence had been spent mostly in an orgy of death and destruction. Deliberately creating something or someone who was meant to last more than a year was completely outside my experience.

But there was a much older vampire in this coven. A vampire who had spent some years at the epicenter of the vampire world, and who was like a squirrel, accumulating knowledge in an endless quest to understand the world around him. Carlisle.

His library was extensive and in some parts ancient. I sometimes wondered if he'd read everything in it, but there was no doubt he had the best collection of books about our kind outside Volterra.

First I needed to learn more about humans and modern medical science. If I was going to meddle with something I needed to know how it was meant to work. I put my feet back down and stood up, wandered into Carlisle's office, pulled down some hefty volumes from his bookshelf and took them back to my room to read.

**CPOV**

We'd been in Forks now for a quarter of a century; had we been anywhere else we'd have had to move on years ago, but the work I'd put in over that time, both with the local authorities and with the citizens more generally, meant that we were never questioned. We'd become part of the furniture, just as I'd always hoped.

I was about to finish my shift at work. Although vampires didn't tire, I was feeling the strain of life at home of late. Jasper had been a royal pain in the neck; constantly harping on about the danger we were in from the wolves. He'd never really accepted my choice to live in close proximity with other supernatural creatures, but our approaches to this existence were polar opposites.

I approached new situations with interest and a scientific eye. He was suspicious of anything he couldn't control. The wolves were a wild card; they weren't answerable to him and although his powers worked on them, he knew better than to use them.

But although I knew Jasper wouldn't act against the wolves directly, I still feared that he was up to something. It wasn't that he was constantly objecting; in fact the opposite. His litany of complaints against the Quileute had rather suddenly stopped, and call me paranoid but that worried me.

I finished signing off on my charts, packed up my desk and headed for home. Tomorrow was a new day for me; the first day of my new program at the Women's Clinic.

I had been working towards it for years, the opportunity to really help the women of this town who wanted to become mothers but couldn't. Since the hospital's new wing had opened just after the war, I'd worked with veterans in rehabilitation and young women to try to ensure that they had safe pregnancies and deliveries.

Now I was about to go one step further; I was going to help infertile women to become pregnant in the first place. Some women could be helped by fertility treatments, but there were others who didn't respond to that. I was going to be offering Artificial Insemination as a service for the first time, and I was really excited about it.

As I climbed into my Mercedes and pulled out of the doctor's car park I thought about the next day. I decided to spend some time in my library at home double checking my medical books and ensuring that the techniques I was planning to use would work. After that, I'd go for a hunt to make sure that I was properly prepared for the day.

I floored it, and the miles flew by. I didn't ever get speeding tickets, somehow the Police were always too happy to wave me on, and that's if they caught me. Before long I was parking the car in the garage and racing upstairs to get started on my research.

There was only one problem; my books weren't there. They were missing, and I didn't understand that. Who, apart from me, would be interested in reading medical books? Perhaps I'd misplaced them, but I had a vampire's perfect memory and that didn't seem credible to me. Oh well, I could search for them later.

I decided to look for Esme, and I found her out in the garden. "Would you like to go hunting darling?"

She looked down at her hands, which were covered in soil. "That sounds lovely dear, but maybe I should wash up first."

I didn't see the point if we were going to be in the forest anyway. I shook my head. "Why bother, let's just go."

I needed to get out of my head for a while and lose myself to my vampiric impulses. I took Esme by the hand, and we headed off on our hunt.

**JPOV**

Carlisle's medical books were **fascinating**. Who knew that there were so many things that could be done these days in human reproduction? I didn't, but then I was a vampire. Reproduction wasn't something vampires ever thought about.

Female vampires couldn't have children of course; nothing can grow in a womb that doesn't expand to accommodate it. But the stories of incubi that had been passed down through the centuries led me to wonder whether male vampires were another matter.

I sauntered back into Carlisle's library, and selected another book, one he must have acquired during his time with the Volturi. It was dusty, and very old, and I handled it carefully. Then I heard the Mercedes flying up the driveway and darted back into my room with it before I could be caught.

I heard Carlisle enter his library and then exit it again minutes later, cursing at the fact that his books were missing. I was not going to confess to taking them, the last thing I wanted was to be asked what I needed them for. I could only hope that if I replaced them before he came back, he'd just accept it without question.

I was certain he'd not noticed the Volturi book was gone too; from the sounds of it he just wanted his medical books. It wouldn't take me long to read the sections I was interested in, and then with my eidetic memory there'd be no need to consult them again.

I settled in for the evening to read. I was in luck; Carlisle's old book was giving me the answers I was after and the information about incubi was extensive and very useful.

I had heard that they were demons who visited women at night and had intercourse with them. Beyond that, the legends were split on whether pregnancy could result, but seemed to say that as incubi were demons and not corporeal that they couldn't father a child. I was a vampire not a demon; that didn't apply to me.

Carlisle's book had some different answers for me. Whatever the truth was about demons, there were also vampires who behaved as incubi and succubi. Of course the Denali sisters were known to me, but they had never been able to create a child other than by biting, and the immortal child that resulted had been destroyed, along with its "mother."

Incubi though were prevalent throughout the world. The Volturi hadn't investigated it, but it was rumored that a vampire was active in South America impregnating women who then gave birth to half-human half-vampire children. It wasn't a major issue for them as the women who had been exposed to our secret invariably died in that primitive environment and the children they bore were either dead themselves or immortal.

Well one thing was certain; the traditional practices of incubi wouldn't be happening here, this was the 20th Century and I was sure a midnight visit from me wasn't high on anyone's list. Mind you, the thoughts my reading evoked were titillating to say the least, it was a shame they'd never be acted on. I needed another mechanism for my plan, and Carlisle with his new Clinic had unwittingly given it to me.

I could visit the clinic and make a switch. The venom samples would be placed there and some of the samples that Carlisle had so painstakingly accumulated would be removed. The only thing I was uncertain of was whether my venom would be a viable substitute for human semen, but there was only one way to find that out, and that was to use it.

If it worked, I'd have my half-vampires; if it didn't Carlisle might write it off as just a failure on the first attempt of his new scheme.

At the very least it was worth a try. I was going to attempt to become a "father"; and if I could have Edward join in with that, the qualities that our offspring would have might be useful. I wasn't sure about it; but I was willing to bet that they'd be immortal and would have at least some enhanced abilities.

Carlisle had his program; I was going to subvert it. And then we'd see who'd be ruling the roost in Forks; it wouldn't be the wolves anymore that was certain.

It was time to go back downstairs and see Edward; I hoped he'd come on board but I didn't know if he would. I strolled out to the top of the stairs and then jumped down onto the living room floor. As I landed, Edward walked into the room. He looked at me, and frowned. Whether it was because of my thoughts or my lack of elegance I was about to find out.

"Not that again Jasper. I swear by all that's holy you have that thought every other day."

"And that surprises you? The problem's not going to go away anytime soon unless we deal with it."

Edward sat down and put his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. "I know. This has been Carlisle's dream for a long time now, and I've never understood it. There are so many other places in the world where we could live. But he wandered the globe for so long on his own; not just years, but centuries. And he's so affable. To him living here doesn't present the issues that it does to you, he'd never break the treaty and he doesn't think Ephraim will either."

"Who said anything about breaking the treaty?"

Edward's head whipped up and he stared at me, picking my more recent thoughts out of my head and tossing them around in his own mind.

"That could work. But we'd have no idea what the outcome would be, even if we got the results we were after, there could be consequences that we can't foresee."

I wasn't worried about consequences. I was a seasoned warrior vampire; there wasn't anything I couldn't handle. "I say we cross that bridge when we come to it. It's worth a try, don't you think? No need to tell Carlisle, we'll just test it out and see if it works. With your background it shouldn't be too difficult."

"Oh alright then, but if this goes badly it's on your head. By the way, I'm only doing this because we're using science; your incubus thoughts are disgusting. I'd never visit a woman's bedroom at night uninvited. And I'm not going to take the blame when Carlisle finds out; and he will, make no mistake about that."

I fully intended to take both the blame and the credit. I might not be the leader of this coven, but to my mind the vampire who was, lacked both a healthy dose of skepticism where the wolves were concerned, and a strategic brain to ensure that our bases were covered. I had both.

"Look at it this way. If we get the results we're after we'll have a new generation of maybe half a dozen or more new students for you to teach and maybe they'll have extra powers. It would give you something to do."

"That it would." Edward seemed to brighten at that; he must have liked the idea of teaching a classroom of mind-readers, why I didn't know. That sounded like a nightmare to me. But not as much of a nightmare for him as it would be if they were empaths. I snorted; that could be fun.

No, I was interested in creating a buffer between us and the wolves, one that for once would give us the upper hand when it came to the treaty, and maybe even render it moot. And I was glad that Alice's powers were malfunctioning. As much as I loved her, it was tedious having another person knowing everything that you did before you did it.

Her visions came and went; I still liked to take the precaution of not deciding things in advance where I could, but for the most part if the wolves were concerned she saw nothing. All you had to do to factor them in was contemplate how they'd react to your decision. And that was something I never stopped doing.

They'd be furious about this if my plan worked. That went without saying; I wasn't doing it to please them for fuck's sake. But there was a difference between bending rules and breaking them; Ephraim was welcome to look for bite marks, check my eye color all he wanted to, he'd find nothing. We'd be expanding our family and he'd just have to deal.

There was a risk I'd be kicked out of the coven and Alice with me. But I had some thoughts about how that might go. I was banking on Carlisle's compassion and scientific curiosity, and Esme and Rosalie's maternal instincts to come to the fore. If they did, the children would be taken care of, and maybe I could get away with what I'd done. There was no downside for me anyway; leaving was better than waiting for a wolf to tear my head off.

I looked at Edward. "Do you want to go out for a hunt?" The unspoken part he fished out of my head, he nodded and we ran off into the night.

**CPOV**

My hunt with Esme was both relaxing and...satisfying. After we arrived home again I went back to my library to catch up on the reading I'd meant to do. Wonder of wonders, my books were back, not on the shelves, but on my desk. I must have had them out before and not replaced them, although that wasn't like me, I was always a tidy person.

I quickly checked them and I was happy that I knew how to proceed tomorrow. Forks wasn't a large town but there were going to be quite a few patients to see, some of whom had waited for years for the opportunity I was about to give them.

I wished I could be like them and go to sleep the night before, then wake up to a new day and a new chapter in life. Not sleeping meant that the days bled into each other, and that sometimes robbed them of their significance.

It occurred to me to go and look for the boys and see whether maybe I could interest them in a card game. But Jasper and Edward weren't around; I had no idea where they'd gone.

I shrugged; they must be hunting, although I'd not seen them when I was out. I found myself at a loose end so I lay down on the sofa, picked up a novel and started to read. It was a science fiction book and I found myself rolling my eyes; so farfetched some of this stuff, alien babies, who could believe such a thing? Almost as silly as vampires really; back when I was hunting them for my father I didn't think they were real either.

The problem with becoming a supernatural being was that you no longer knew where the line was between the probable and the possible; and the possible and the ridiculous. Living in Forks made the line clear for me; vampires were real, shapeshifters were real, and everyone else was mortal. I never wanted to leave this place.

I put the book down, closed my eyes and rested. It wasn't sleep but at least I could switch off for a while. After a few hours I checked my watch and decided that it was time get up and get started on this new day and the promise it held for me and for Forks. I couldn't wait to begin.

Just then Jasper and Edward came home; strangely their eyes weren't that soft butterscotch color I expected to see after a hunt. They smiled at me and then exchanged a look; much as I'd like to know what that was about they weren't going to tell me. Sometimes it was better not to know.

I headed upstairs to the bathroom. After I'd showered and dressed I grabbed my car keys, found Esme, kissed her goodbye and headed out the door.


	21. Chapter 21

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**A/N: I have a confession to make. I think that one-month pregnancies and seven-year growing periods for immortal creatures are counter-intuitive and just silly. Every other living thing that is long-lived develops slowly. To me it makes more sense that the pregnancies might be the same or slightly shorter, and the growth period as long as or longer than for a human. And since this is AU, I'm not going to follow canon on that point.**

**1962**

**CPOV**

My work with the mothers of Forks had shown some success to date. About a quarter of the women I'd treated in the first program had fallen pregnant; actually that far exceeded my expectations. I wondered what it was about that treatment cycle that had been so different to the norm; maybe the semen was of a high quality.

There was only one thing that was worrying me; some of the pregnancies seemed to be progressing a bit more quickly than usual. It had been just over two months since the program began, but those women I was seeing now who came in for their checkups looked like they were at least four months advanced.

I noticed too when I was examining them that they had a strange scent. The scents reminded me of Jasper or Edward, but I didn't see how that was possible. Perhaps their scents were on my clothes and I wasn't distinguishing them properly. I brushed the thought from my mind; I had more important things to worry about.

The only other issue I'd had was the refusal of the Quileute to participate. They were a small tribe anyway, so the issue of infertility might not have been a major one for them; but Ephraim and the other Council members flatly refused to countenance any type of artificial help with their family planning.

He had a point I suppose; the traditions which were handed down from father to son including not least of which was the wolf trait itself, meant that it was of the utmost importance that a child knew who its father really was. Those not blessed with children simply accepted their lot in life and helped the tribe in other ways.

I'd mentioned that in passing at the house one night; my disappointment at their non-participation. Jasper and Edward visibly started; then they exchanged looks of astonishment and relief. I had no idea what that was about, I just hoped it wasn't because of something they'd said or done. I really didn't need or want Ephraim on my back just when things were settling down again.

I thought I'd better ask the question though. "Is there something you want to tell me, Jasper? Edward?"

Neither of them would look me in the eye, but eventually Jasper spoke. "No, not at all Carlisle, although I must say I'm surprised that you would even think that the Quileute would want to be involved. Their gene pool is important to them."

"I know that, but I would have taken that into consideration and only used Quileute fathers for Quileute children. It doesn't matter though, there aren't going to be any Quileutes born from this work of mine."

Edward and Jasper exchanged another look, and Edward rolled his eyes at Jasper. Whatever their little secret was they clearly wanted to keep it that way. I had to admit, knowing Jasper, never finding out what they'd been up to sounded pretty good to me.

Enough of the reminiscences; I checked my watch; it was time to go to work. I said goodbye to Esme, picked up my coat and medical bag and headed out the door.

**EphPOV**

I rarely went into Forks these days; people who knew me were incredulous, and people who didn't, rude. Sometimes I found myself answering to the name Bill; it was a good thing that he looked so much like me. I had an inkling that we'd be using that ruse more and more as time wore on.

But this time I'd gone to town to pick up some parts for one of the trucks on the Rez. We could fit it ourselves but we weren't able to place the order. As I drove into town I noticed some obviously pregnant women walking down the street. I wondered whether they'd been part of Carlisle's new pet project, the one he'd tried to convince us to be a part of, but I didn't think it had been going that long.

I parked the truck and made my way into the garage. After I collected and paid for the parts, I headed back towards my truck. And then I smelled something I'd never have believed was possible. One of the women who walked past me carried the scent of **vampire** within her. It was much fainter than if she'd been a Cold One herself, or had touched one, but it was most definitely **there**.

What was the meaning of this? True, these women weren't my responsibility but if Carlisle was experimenting upon the women of Forks I was going to have something to say about it. And it had to be him, if it was anyone else he'd have acted by now. Surely he could smell them too.

I got in the truck, started it, and headed for the hospital. The day would not end until I had some answers.

**CPOV**

I was with a patient; not at the women's clinic, which was fortunate, but in the Emergency Room. I could hear raised voices at the Reception Desk, and realized with a sinking feeling that the loudest voice belonged to Ephraim Black.

"Where is he? Where's Cullen?"

"Sir, you can't go in there, he's with a patient. SIR, please stay where you are, if you need to see Doctor Cullen I'll page him for you."

I didn't need a pager of course, I could hear everything that was being said, but I shouldn't have been able to. More useless technology to cover up my true nature. I sighed; I'd better wait for the call.

"You do that, Nurse... Dent. Because if you don't I'll start yelling loud enough for him to hear me; that's if he can't already."

"Oh, Mr..."

"Black. Ephraim Black."

"Mr. Black, he's in a treatment room, there's no way he could hear you. You'll have to wait for him to respond to his page."

I heard a loud snort. And I didn't need to be in the room to see the eye rolling that was going on; Ephraim knew I'd heard every word they'd said.

"Just get him here. And tell him to step on it, because I **smell** a rat. Emphasis on smell; he has some explaining to do. And for once I do have all day, so he can forget about me leaving."

I was almost finished with my patient, who was oblivious to what I was hearing although he could see that I was distracted. I picked up my prescription pad, wrote quickly on it, and handed the script to him. "Get this filled as soon as possible and then take one three times a day with meals until they're finished. You need to complete the course even if you're feeling better. And please come back and see me if you haven't improved in a few days."

Just then my pager went off. I thought about phoning in to take the message, but since I was finished here and knew what awaited me it was easier to just go and deal with it. I waited for my patient to leave and then dawdled out to meet my accuser. For once in my vampire life, I wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere.

I rounded the corner from the corridor into Reception, and there he was. I'd dealt with Ephraim enough times over the years to have seen him in many moods, even angry ones, but it was a while since I'd seen him as furious as this. He looked truly terrifying; it was enough to set me back on my heels, so heaven only knew what it was doing to my staff.

I met his gaze, and jerked my head in the direction of the part of the building where my office was. He turned towards the nurse, thanked her for summoning me, and followed me out of the room. To my surprise Ephraim had no trouble keeping up; he had a long stride anyway but he was marching with speed and purpose to my office. That didn't bode well.

I tried to engage him in some banter, lighten the mood as it were. He wouldn't have a bar of it. "Don't think that you can shoot the breeze with me Carlisle, I didn't come here to be nice to you" he spat.

After that there was stony silence for the rest of the walk, and our footsteps echoed around the passageways until we reached the door to my office. I opened it, and gestured for Ephraim to go in, pointing to a chair over by my desk. He refused to sit in it; turning, and glaring at me.

"You can be under no illusions as to why I'm here **DOCTOR** Cullen, or are you going to pretend you don't know what I'm talking about?"

I really didn't know why he was here, but he didn't buy that, clearly. "I know you don't believe me but I have no idea what your problem is. You'll have to explain it to me, as calmly and completely as you can."

Ephraim seemed taken aback, but he recovered himself and began to pace up and down in my office. It was unsettling, even for me; in such a confined space his overwhelming size and physicality seemed to fill the room. I'd heard that women found him magnetically attractive; they were welcome to that impression, but for my part I was beginning to fear if not him then what he was about to say. I stayed standing; to sit would only make me feel even smaller compared to him.

Finally he stopped pacing, turned and looked hard at me. He spoke, and there began my nightmare. "Have you noticed anything unusual about any of your fertility program patients of late?"

Had I? Apart from the strange odor some of them had, no; but it couldn't be that could it?

"No, not really, although I did notice that a few of them had a different scent."

Ephraim's eyes bored into mine. "And this scent; what did it remind you of?"

He had me there, but I still wasn't able to understand the thrust of his argument. All I could do was answer his questions honestly and hope that he'd eventually tell me what was on his mind.

"It was a strange thing, they smelled very vaguely of Jasper or Edward, but I dismissed it. I thought they must have brushed against them when they were out and about in Forks, or that perhaps the scents were on my clothing to start with. To be frank Ephraim, I dismissed the thoughts I had because there was no rational explanation for what I'd observed; even now I have no idea why some of the women smell like that."

"Here's what I think. I think that your affection for your coven members whom you like to consider your family has blinded you to the true reason for this phenomenon. Your senses are as good as mine, if not better, and mine are telling me that the aroma of Cold One that these women are giving off comes from **within**. And correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I know, there's only one way for that to happen."

Was he saying that the women had been impregnated with vampire venom? Surely not. I didn't know if that was even possible; certainly it had never occurred to me to ever try to father a child. My face must have registered my look of amazement, because the hostility emanating from Ephraim seemed to die down a bit, and he looked me up and down.

He continued, "You really didn't know about this did you? Now that you do, what are you going to do about it?"

I was going to check first. Edward would always defer to me but Jasper was another matter; I wanted to be sure of my ground before I confronted him because that wasn't going to be pretty. And if I was going to be looking at my samples, I might as well have company.

"I'm going to go to my laboratory and check on a few things. Would you like to come with me?"

"That would be a very good idea. Because if you're thinking what I'm thinking we have some work to do."

I began to walk towards the door, and again he followed me out, trailing behind me on the way to the Clinic. Neither of us really wanted to get to our destination, mainly because we both feared what we'd find there.

Eventually we found ourselves in my lab, looking at my store of donated semen. I picked up a sample; it was frozen but I sniffed it anyway. So did Ephraim, and his eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

"That sample smells of vampire, Carlisle. And not you."

It did. It was undeniably eau de Jasper. With a chaser of Edward. I couldn't account for how my samples had been interfered with but there was no doubt about it, they had been.

"You're right. There are two scents there, the stronger one is Jasper and the other is Edward. My program has been compromised, but to what end I can't tell you as yet. I'd suggest that you go home now; keep this information to yourself and I will be in touch. We need to decide what to do about this; we are dealing with women who've waited years to have a child, and I'm sure there is no way they'll agree to terminating their pregnancies. We might have to manage this some other way."

He thought for a minute. "I'll do that Carlisle, but believe you me if I had not been in this room smelling these samples you'd have a war on your hands. Biting a human is forbidden under the treaty as you well know. And you have women in your care who are going to be delivering half-human half-vampire babies. Do you even know what they'll be like?"

No I didn't but I had a library. A library that I'd be visiting as soon as possible. I took my leave of Ephraim, headed back to the ER, finished my shift and drove home.

Walking in through the front door, I found my two targets in the living room. Edward was playing the piano, and Jasper was reading another one of his Civil War tomes. His time would be better spent writing one; preferably in somebody else's house.

They looked up when I came in; no doubt Ephraim's unique odor permeated the air. Odors seemed to be the topic of the day today. I sighed heavily; time to throw down the gauntlet to those two.

"Jasper, Edward, please finish what you're doing. We need to talk. And before you ask, this can't wait. We are doing this **NOW**."

They both gaped at me; there was something in my tone which for once they paid attention to. I noticed them exchanging a look; I had tried to block my thoughts but that didn't always work, and Jasper would have no trouble interpreting the anger which was pouring from me. I was incensed and they'd soon know why.

"Before I start, is there anything either of you want to tell me?" They shook their heads; we were going to have to do this the hard way.

"Well, I've just had an encounter with Ephraim Black, and believe you me it wasn't very pleasant. He was in town on business and noticed a scent of vampire on one of my patients. Does either of you have anything to add to that?"

Before I could get an answer out of either of them the others all came into the room. Esme made her way over to me, but sensing my agitation, sat down to wait for me to finish speaking. Alice curled up next to Jasper and snuggled in under his arm, and Rosalie and Emmett went over to the loveseat.

Heads turned in Emmett's direction. I could clear that up for starters. "No, it wasn't Emmett playing tricks. These clients of mine smelled of vampire **internally**, and some of my semen samples at the hospital have been interfered with. The scents Ephraim and I identified belonged to Jasper and Edward."

Rosalie was up and out of her seat in a flash, and grabbed Edward by the throat, pinning him against the wall. "Just what have you been up to Edward, did you get bored and decide that the humans needed to have some more little Eds running around? Believe you me, I don't think the world will be a better place with more than one of you."

Edward's eyes opened very wide; for once he looked as though he was afraid of Rosalie. I couldn't help it; I had to smile. It might be the only light relief I'd get today. But I was pretty sure that she had the wrong guy. Time to sort this mess out.

"Rose, let go of Edward. We'll talk about this calmly or I'll clear the room."

She dropped him to the floor and stalked back to her seat, tossing her hair. So no soft landing for him then. He brushed himself off and stood up, glaring at Rose and Jasper. Any illusions I had about him owning his mistakes were soon shattered though.

"Don't blame me, this was Jasper's idea not mine."

Oh, Edward. The eternal child; why had I changed him? "Edward, you've been on this planet now for sixty years. I think it's time for you to own up to what you've done. It makes no difference to me whose idea this was, you're both equally culpable in my eyes and Ephraim's."

Jasper freed himself from Alice and stood up, sauntering across the room and leaning against the wall. His concentration was at odds with his relaxed posture; that was always a sign that he was trying to use his powers. "Jasper, knock it off. There will be no use of special powers in this room today, if you do you can pack your bags and leave now, and go for good."

He looked up and me and grinned rakishly, he knew he'd been caught. I wasn't going to have some emotions of passivity or complaisance pushed at me so that I'd go easy on them; they would know how I felt about this by the time I'd finished. He took a deep breath and began to speak.

"I've told you before Carlisle, I don't like the fact that as long as we're here, the wolves are going to keep breeding and we'll be outnumbered. We need to have a balance of power; it's like the Cold War and MAD."

He went there. He seriously made the comparison between our situation and the standoff between the USSR and the USA. "The imbalance means nothing where all parties are of good faith, Jasper. What makes you think that the wolves are not?"

"I have no problem with Ephraim, Carlisle. But you place too much store in him, he's only one man and some of the others are openly hostile to us. If anything happened to him we'd be vulnerable."

Jasper was always worried about where his next fight was coming from. Even after a dozen years with us, he was still strategizing and plotting; when would he ever stop? "Jasper, not everything is about conflict. At some point we as a family just have to trust that the treaty will hold and get on with our lives. If you can't do that, then why are you here?"

He looked at Alice, and her expression took on a soft, pleading quality. "I'm here because it's where Alice wants to be. We are a unit, if you banish me forever she'll go too."

The two of them definitely needed to be out of the way for a while. Once the news of this got out to the tribe I couldn't guarantee their safety. There was technically no treaty breach but it had been bent so far it could snap if the wrong wolf crossed paths with one of them. It was ironic, the hostility and mistrust that he feared and tried to guard against he had only succeeded in making worse.

I thought I'd gauge the mood of the room. "Does anyone else have anything to add to what's been said here?"

Esme was normally very quiet and reserved; but there was a fire in her eyes that I'd not seen in a long time. She rose and went to stand next to me, jabbing her finger in at each of them in turn.

"You, Jasper. And you, Edward. I'm revolted by this, and by you two. You have taken a woman's dearest wish, to have a child, and perverted it for your own ends. Human women aren't guinea pigs, they're people with feelings and rights. Or have you forgotten that I buried a child?"

For the first time in a long time, the two of them were abashed; maybe if my disapproval didn't resonate with them, hurting their Mom would. And Rosalie wasn't granting any favors either. Alice stayed quiet but then as she had no human memories to bank on, she couldn't really relate to the situation.

Emmett just shook his head. "Guys, if you'd spoken to me I'd have warned you not to do this. It's cruel, you don't do that to a lady. Even if you don't remember Esme's past, you must have thought of Rosalie, or didn't you? She's always longed for a child and you rub this in her face. Not cool, not cool at all."

They weren't having much luck, everyone was angry with them. A separation would do everyone some good, and that decided the issue for me.

"Well Jasper, it's up to you but I would strongly advise you and Edward to make your way to Alaska and stay there for a few months at least. Until these babies have been born and we know what we're dealing with, your presence here is an unwelcome reminder of what you two have done, and not just for our enemies. You've ruined my program; I can't stand the sight of either of you right now. Go, and don't come back until I say you can. Alice can go with you or stay, it's her call. You can say your goodbyes, but then you'd better be on your way."

"And if I don't agree to go to Alaska, what's the alternative?"

"The same one you had when you first came here; leaving the family for good. I've said it before and I'll say it again, there are rules in this family and the two of you have broken them. It will be hard enough for me to deal with the wolves; things will never be the same again."

They looked at each other, and then Edward spoke. "Jasper and I are fine with that; we'll leave and come back once you've contacted us to give us the okay."

"And what about Alice? Is she to go with you? Alice, what do you intend to do?"

Alice looked at Jasper, sighed and then gave both of us her answer. "If they're not going forever I'll stay here. You might need me, maybe I'll have a vision or two. But if Jasper doesn't come back I'll leave. He is my mate and I love him."

Jasper signaled his acceptance of her decision, and then went upstairs to pack. He and Edward said their goodbyes and left about half an hour later and I made my way upstairs to my library. There was a lot of research I was going to have to do.

The next Clinic appointment day, armed with my new knowledge, I performed some basic tests on my patients. I could see some unusual features of the hybrid child pregnancies; the fetuses were progressing faster in their development, and the wombs of the mothers were slightly less elastic than with the normal babies. In other ways though there was absolutely nothing wrong; if anything the babies were in better physical shape for not being fully human, and there were no abnormalities whatsoever.

I wasn't expecting the mothers carrying the hybrid babies to develop vampire hardness with their uterine walls, but I would need to monitor that and if the babies were not going to have room to grow, get them out before they died in utero. I was not going to keep this information to myself, although there was a limit as to how much I could say.

My first such patient after I'd made my discoveries was now in my surgery. I decided to broach the subject with her.

"Mrs Anderson, I'm pleased to see you. How have things been going with you?"

"I feel fine Dr. Cullen but as I've never borne a child before I'm not sure whether everything with me is normal or not. Should I be showing yet? It feels like it's been too soon for that."

"Well I meant to talk to you about that. I've noticed some unusual features with your pregnancy. I don't think there's anything wrong, and you may well deliver a healthy baby, but I am obliged to offer you the alternative of terminating your pregnancy if you so choose."

She took mere seconds to answer me. "No, no, not that. I've waited for years to have a child of my own, this might be my only chance. I absolutely refuse to kill my baby, don't even mention it again."

It was the reaction I'd been expecting, and I'd told Ephraim as much. I continued on with the appointment, saw the patient out, and carried on with my day.

Weary, and apprehensive, I made my way home to my wife. She greeted me with a kiss and a hug, and for once I wished that I could have a whiskey as well. We sat down, and she asked me about my day.

"How was the Clinic today, Carlisle? I know that you were planning to talk to your patients today about the babies and whether they wanted to go on with things."

"You're right Esme, I did talk to them. I didn't go into detail because I really don't know much either about what this all means, but not one of the women I spoke to wanted to give up their baby and try again. I guess once you have something it's hard to lose it."

She smiled, one of those mysterious Mona Lisa smiles she sometimes wore when she knew something I didn't. "I could have saved you the trouble of asking, although you still would have. No woman who had gone to such trouble for a child would ever change her mind once she was in a position to have one. Watch them carefully, do your best for them, and I'm confident that it will work out in the end."

"But what about the babies? What are they, will they be manageable for us? Will they have souls, behave like other people? I never wanted to play God, just help people."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Really, why worry about something that you can't control and don't know enough about, just go with the flow Carlisle."

It was a sentiment that I carried within me for the months that followed, as the women became larger and the fetuses put more pressure on their bodies. It helped me too in my dealings with the wolves, who were incandescent with rage, but powerless to do anything. In truth, none of us knew what we were facing.

I thought I was keeping a close enough eye on my patients, until I got the phone call that shattered my peaceful day. One of them had started to bleed, she needed to have her baby **now**. And she was only seven months pregnant.


	22. Chapter 22

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**1962**

**CPOV**

I wasn't prepared for this. Although I'd known that the hybrids (I preferred that term to half-breeds) were growing more quickly than the other babies conceived on my program, I wasn't expecting the first one to come a whole two months early.

And the expectant mother was in trouble. I hadn't wanted to think about it too much; it only reminded me that Jasper and Edward had done this, to me, to the family and above all to my patients. But I had to face the facts, and the facts were that these children were half vampire.

For any mother to give birth to them and survive herself was going to take a major effort on my part and I feared that with this first one I was underprepared and would not be able to do enough to save them both. I was going to need help, but the only family member here with any medical expertise was Rosalie, and she was hunting. I asked Esme to find her, and send her straight to the hospital.

I grabbed my things and sprinted to the car. As I drove to the hospital, the forest blurring past my car windows in a sea of brown and green, my mind wandered back over the thoughts I'd had since I learned of my sons' betrayal. Back even as far as 1940, with the birth and death of Ephraim's twins and the loss of his wife. That was a scarifying experience for both him and me; the despair he'd felt and my powerlessness in the situation. He'd never really been the same since, in my view; every so often you'd look at him and his eyes were looking at something none of us could see.

Ever since then I'd been driven to help the women of Forks, and for years I had done exactly that. Now thanks to Jasper and Edward I had dealt some of them into either life as the mother of a supernatural being or death. These were no ordinary children; should they be born venomous they could possibly bite people, which would not only break the treaty but might also result in the creation of new vampires.

I shuddered; that had to be prevented at all costs. We'd be forced to leave Forks at the very least, but I personally thought that it was just as likely that Ephraim would see any treaty breach as an opportunity to let Levi and others of his ilk have their heads. If that happened there'd be a phalanx of wolves attacking us within minutes and some of us would not survive.

And I didn't even want to start to think about the Volturi, and the price they would exact for exposure of the secret. Mature vampires were one thing, my family was well-controlled because we'd had to be. But a baby or a small child was another matter. I gripped the wheel harder; I should leave that for another time, when I knew what I was dealing with.

I'd noticed over the course of the pregnancies that my patients had become very anemic and seemed to need blood. I wondered whether that had anything to do with the babies' vampire natures but as I didn't want to startle anyone, I hadn't suggested that the mothers should drink blood. Rather, I'd given them transfusions and iron supplements and monitored their hemoglobin. As none of them had been pregnant before, they submitted to my treatments without question.

But it made me wonder, what would these children want to eat and drink once they were born? Might they want to drink blood? If they did, how would I obtain it? Would they eat the same things as their human mothers did? Maybe their diets would be a combination of both. If the children were blood drinkers they wouldn't be able to hunt until they were older; they'd need to have the blood brought to them. I'd have to set up something like a blood bank maybe.

And at the very least, they'd be driven by their instincts, and one of those might well be to bite. Even breastfeeding, if that were possible for these babies, would be hazardous for their mothers. Everything pointed towards these children being unique, and challenging to raise at least until they were of an age where they could be relied upon not to surrender to their vampiric instincts around humans.

I was getting ahead of myself; the first thing I needed to do was bring them into the world safely. But it didn't hurt to cover my bases. I'd come up with a plan over the past few months of what to do if the children couldn't leave the hospital with their parents and as I drove I thought about it again.

It would take everything I had to bring it off, but then again life in this town over the years had called upon me to use my full range of abilities more than once. Usually it involved the manipulation of memories and emotions with a bit of glamoring here and there. We could all dazzle, but since Jasper had arrived we'd also been able to control to a large extent people's reactions to what we did.

Failing that, we sometimes resorted to good old-fashioned bribery. Another piece of equipment for the hospital; another set of donations to the elected officials of the town for their campaigns, that was the usual price. The price would be higher this time though, because we would need to apply our powers of persuasion to the parents of the children as well.

If I had to, I would build a home for these children; somewhere they could live and be with others of their own kind. Hopefully they might be able to grow up and lead relatively normal lives; eat and drink whatever they needed to, and gain control over their impulses. Once they were old enough and fully trained, we could revisit their situation; maybe they'd want to go back to their homes and maybe they wouldn't.

I'd spent some considerable time working out how to make that happen. The mothers wouldn't want to surrender their children, even for a short time, but if the babies were too much for them they'd have to be persuaded to. As I saw it, three things might happen. Either the mothers wouldn't cope or they would.

If they were fine, I could send them home with help from Esme or Rosalie. Breastfeeding would be out of the question, but there wasn't much call for it at this time in human history; bottles would be fine to start with, containing either formula or blood.

If they didn't cope then they'd either accept help and perhaps we'd be able to intervene, or they'd stubbornly try to persist with what they were doing. And in the latter case, I'd need a strategy to deal with the issue.

It occurred to me that the two greatest assets I had at my disposal for that situation were right this minute cooling their heels in Alaska. I needed Edward's mind reading in order to work out what approaches would work best with the parents as I dealt with them in turn. And Jasper could perhaps induce a feeling of acquiescence in them, such that whatever decisions were needed to be made would be agreed to.

Once I had the children under my care, there were other family members I could call upon. Esme and Rosalie would be ideally suited to running the home and taking care of the children, they both had finely honed maternal instincts and vampire hard skin. They would need to educate the hybrids, both generally and more specifically in their vampire ways, so that the secret could be protected.

So much to do, and so much that could go wrong. I pulled the Mercedes into the hospital car park, parked in my reserved spot, turned the engine off and slumped against the steering wheel.

Three hundred and fifty-odd years old, and in some ways my life was only starting. What had I let myself in for?

I got out of the car, and ran into the hospital. I had two lives to try to save.

**EphPOV**

I was right when I'd thought that my Council would be infuriated with what the Cullens had done. I'd reached the Rez the night of the discovery and called a meeting. Seated around the large wooden table in our meeting hut had been some outraged men.

As the heads of two prominent Quileute families, Quil II and Levi had long since joined the Council, and were present, but my junior pack members were not at this meeting. A good thing really, they were always up for a fight, and cooler heads were needed here.

"I call this meeting to order." I'd looked around, and everyone on the Council was here.

"I have an announcement to make. I've been in Forks today; whilst I was there I noticed some pregnant women who had been part of the fertility program being run by Dr. Carlisle Cullen. I'm sure you remember that; he invited us to take part..."

Levi Uley interrupted me "Don't remind me. As if we would allow Cold Ones to make children for us. We are warriors, not sperm donors."

I continued. "As I was saying, I saw some of Carlisle's patients today and I'm sorry to report that one of them smelled of Cold One, and the odor came from inside her body, not outside."

The room erupted. Everyone was standing, shouting, thumping the table and demanding that something be done; and I hadn't even got to the point yet. This was going to be a difficult meeting, and I needed to get it settled back down.

"QUIET! Please, will everyone please sit back down and listen to my report." I waited while the Council members resumed their seats; there were murmurings, which I stopped by making eye contact with those responsible.

"I **have **done something; I've been to see Carlisle. And we have made a discovery. There have been no humans bitten by Cold Ones, and no incubus type activity. What has happened is that two members of his coven have gained access to his semen samples at the hospital and replaced them with their venom. Carlisle says that he had no knowledge of this, and I saw his reaction to what we found; I think he's telling the truth."

After I'd spoken, the talk in the room started back up again; it was heated and there were plenty of strong opinions being expressed. That was when you could hear what anyone was saying over the noise. There was a strong feeling that we should use this to just rid ourselves of the Cullens once and for all, coupled with disbelief that Carlisle was as innocent as he seemed. As usual, that feeling was put into words by Levi Uley.

I quieted the room again, and asked for contributions. Levi spoke up. "I've said it before Ephraim, and I'll say it again. Why do you not see? We need to rid ourselves of this coven once and for all. I say that the treaty has been broken, in spirit if not in fact, and we should drive them out of Forks."

Had my position as Chief and Alpha ever weighed more heavily on me? I doubted it. "You've seen Jasper up close, Levi. If we were to go onto a war footing with the Cullens he would employ his full arsenal of talents against us. It's hard to fight when you're scared, or ecstatic, or whatever emotion he might choose to push at us. And he is a one man killing machine."

"Who was banished to Alaska for his transgressions. If we strike now, when there's eight of us and only five of them we can win. Three of them are women, few are any good at fighting, they might just go," Levi asserted.

How could anyone spend so many years around Dr. Carlisle Cullen and not know him? I frowned at Levi, and gave him my answer, the one I'd tossed around in my head ever since the trip to the lab.

"No. I signed that treaty in good faith and I will never be the first to break it. And this is the issue that we have here. The treaty hasn't been broken; yes they've bent it and been too clever by half, but that's Jasper for you."

Just then someone coughed, and cleared his throat. It was Moses Clearwater. Moses had been Amelia's father-in-law, and was the last of the older generation, although he had not become a wolf. He was, after Edmund's death, the most senior Clearwater remaining in La Push.

I wanted to have his input as well. As wolves we naturally saw things differently to the rest of the Quileute. "Do you have anything you'd like to add, Moses? This meeting is not just for the wolf pack, our decision today will affect the entire tribe."

He smiled, nodded, and began to speak. "I know that the three of you have been blessed by our ancestors with the wolf spirit warrior, and that you do not fear this coven, but it seems to me that if we act without a clear treaty breach to give us a reason for what we do, we run the risk of annihilation. Dr. Cullen has principles; but he is still a vampire and still lethal. He wouldn't tolerate an attack on those he calls his family."

"I agree. Sometimes we forget that that Carlisle is a supernatural being too; in fact I think he spends most of his time trying to forget that as well. But he'd remember soon enough if Esme was threatened."

Quil had always been the most conservative of the three of us; able to fight when he needed to but not one to go looking for trouble. I knew he'd find an angle that we might not have thought of, and he didn't disappoint me.

"I think that sometimes we get so wrapped up in our little world here on the Peninsula that we ignore the world outside. The last thing we need is anything that would bring us to the attention of the authorities. We see ourselves as spirit warriors, but others won't. They'll see us as freaks, if they ever find out about us."

That was a sobering thought, and as much as it chafed, the treaty had brought benefits to both parties through the secrecy it guaranteed. I'd made my mind up, but I needed to see what the others had decided.

"So, what's the verdict here? Does anyone want to void the treaty?"

Levi huffed. "Well since nobody here seems to have the stomach for a fight I'll go quietly. But mark my words, one of these days one of them will bite a human, and you'd better all hope that it isn't somebody who means something to you. A loved one becoming a Cold One is the worst fate I can imagine."

I scanned the room. Heads were shaking, nobody wanted to pursue this further. "Alright then, we'll leave this for now, but you have my word that I will be keeping an eye on this. I have no intention of giving Carlisle a blank check to do whatever he wants. And I will report to you when I know more. Meeting adjourned."

Our chairs scraped against the floor as one by one the Council members stood, left the table and filed out. I sighed heavily, and made my way out the door, closing it behind me. I needed to see Amelia, and our family, and bask in the warmth that only their love for me could provide.

**CPOV**

I was in the labor ward, and things were not going well. Apart from the bleeding, which I was having little success in stopping, my patient's uterus seemed to be torn, either from the birthing process or from something the baby was doing. I suspected an abruption; that the placenta had torn away from the uterine wall.

I hadn't known when I took the call who was in labor, but it was Mrs. Anderson, one of the first women I'd examined after the day with Ephraim. She was in excruciating pain; so much so that it had me concerned that we might lose her, I needed to act fast if she or her child were to survive.

As I was checking my patient, Rosalie walked in. "Thank God you're here, Rose. We're going to have our hands full with this delivery. There's some problem with the uterus and I'm going to have to cut the baby out."

Rosalie looked apprehensive. "A caesarian? Are we both going to be able to deal with the blood? I know you're used to it but I don't know how I'll fare."

Rosalie had not tasted human blood in her almost thirty years as a vampire. "I have faith in you my dear, you've resisted human blood for this long and I'm sure you won't succumb to it now. And look at it this way, if I bring a human nurse in here we will have to dazzle her afterwards. I know you don't like us doing that."

"No, I don't, and you know why" Rosalie spat. She had a great respect for human rights, but she wrapped her concern in a thick layer of asperity. It was her way and I was used to it.

She helped me to set up the equipment I'd need, and I got started. We were going to use ether for the anesthetic to try to spare Mrs. Anderson any more pain. After reassuring her that we'd give her a healthy baby, I asked her to count back from a hundred and she went under. Rosalie kept her supplied with oxygen, and I set to work.

I began to cut, in a long line from the just below the navel to the lower abdomen. I needed a large incision so that I could get the baby out quickly. After cutting through the skin I could see the outline of the shape of the baby, stretching the mother's uterine wall to its limit and pressing against it with some force. It was almost as if the baby wanted to rupture it and force its way out.

It was clear though that the half vampire fetus had, during its growth period caused changes to the lining. There was an increase in firmness and strength, and a decrease in flexibility. The cutting was taking longer than it should, and I couldn't use my vampire strength too much for a task that needed finesse. I made a mental note to get some better scalpels for next time.

Rosalie tapped my shoulder. "I can't be sure, but there seem to be issues with the baby. If it takes too much longer to get it out it might die."

She was right; there was distress, and the mother was growing weaker. I cut again, harder this time, but when I broke through the lining a fountain of blood spurted up, coating my face and clothes. Rosalie's eyes darkened, and I prepared to shove her out of the way.

"Are you okay, Rosalie? Do you need to leave the room? You know I won't tolerate biting."

"I'm FINE, Carlisle. I'll stay up this end and concentrate on what I'm doing. And I'll hold my breath as well."

And she **was** fine. She used her focus on the task at hand and her amazing control to get through the crisis, and a short time later I was able to grasp the fetus and remove it from its mother. It was a girl; I gave her to Rosalie to clean up and check over and turned my attention back to Mrs. Anderson.

But she'd lost too much blood. Shortly after the delivery, and before I could close her incision or bring her back to consciousness she arrested, and I couldn't revive her. I punched a hole in the wall in frustration; I wanted as a doctor to save lives not take them. And there was no doubt in my mind that had this woman been carrying a human child she'd be alive now.

I heard a cry; I turned around to find Rosalie holding a swaddled infant in the crook of her elbow, cooing and rocking her from side to side. I took a close look at the child; there was intelligence in her expression and she seemed to be very well aware of her surroundings. Her eyes were green, her skin pale, and she had light brown wavy hair. So much like her mother, the person who gave her life and whom she would never know.

I looked a mess, but I had a task to perform, and it was as much a part of the job as cutting, stitching or delivering babies. I had to go out into the waiting room and speak to Mr. Anderson about what had happened. I hated having to do it at the best of times, but this was worse, because I was going to have to lie.

Lie, because it wasn't really an abruption that had killed his wife; it was giving birth to a half-vampire. I was convinced even after this experience that these deliveries could be managed safely, mainly because of the mistakes I'd made this time. And although I couldn't prove it, I wondered aloud whether the baby had in some way caused the damage I'd seen deliberately or in its efforts to be born.

Rosalie heard what I'd said and glowered at me; she didn't believe that could have happened. I shrugged, and went to clean myself up. After all I couldn't face a newly bereaved father with his wife's blood all over me.

After I'd washed and changed my clothes, I went to the waiting room and found Mr. Anderson pacing up and down; a discarded Readers' Digest near his vinyl chair. He'd become too impatient to read it, and I didn't blame him; it was uncanny how often patients knew that something was wrong, as if by instinct.

I walked over to him and shook his hand. "Mr. Anderson? I'm Dr. Cullen, your wife's doctor."

He looked expectantly at me. "How is she? Has our baby been born? Are they alright?" Words rushed out of him, he was a bundle of nerves.

I pointed to his seat. "I think you need to sit down Mr. Anderson. I'm sorry, but I have some bad news for you."

He paled, and looked hard at me. "She's dead isn't she?"

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this but you're right, she's gone. There was a complication with the birth, the placenta separated from her uterus and she lost too much blood."

For a moment it looked as if he wanted to hit me, and then he slumped in his chair, his head in his hands. "I told her not to try for a baby, that she was too old, that it didn't matter as long as we had each other but no, she was determined. She wanted to be a mother and nothing could stand in her way."

"I'm so sorry" I offered. "It may have cost her everything but she is a mother now. Would you like to see your child? You have a beautiful daughter."

He stood, backed away from me and shook his head determinedly. "No, no I don't. That child has taken away from me my only love. I don't know how to care for babies, and I don't want to be reminded of all that I've lost. If you would be so kind as to find a home for her, I'd appreciate it very much. Just give me the papers and I'll sign them, and then leave me the heck alone."

That would be a task for another day. I'd give the child over into Rosalie's care, and that was probably for the best anyway. Because if I knew one thing after today it was that we needed to know more about these children, and what we were going to be up against in trying to raise them.


	23. Chapter 23

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**1962**

**CPOV**

I was at home with the family. We'd been blessed with a new baby to care for; the daughter of Mrs. Anderson. Her father had rejected her sight unseen, but truth be known if he'd set eyes on her he may have rejected her anyway; as gorgeous as she was, there was something undeniably different about her.

Nobody had known what the hybrids were going to turn out like, and she was the only one to have been born as yet, but so far so good. She seemed to draw at least as much from her human side as her vampire nature, and this had been a boon for us because at least to date she'd been relatively placid. It would make our task much easier if they were all like that.

Esme was holding the baby in her arms and feeding her a bottle. She was happy to have formula most days, and it wouldn't be too long before she could have solid food, but about once a week her eyes became ringed with dark shadows and I knew it was time to give her a bag of blood.

I'd been able to bring her some from the hospital which had exceeded its shelf life; and the others sometimes drained some animal blood into the bottle for her. She seemed not to mind the taste of either too much, unlike most vampires, who preferred their blood to be fresh.

She had a nursery, and thanks to Alice, everything that a baby girl could need or want. Only one thing was missing; a name. Nobody could agree on one, and everyone had an opinion. I wanted to name her after Esme, since I didn't think that Mr. Anderson would tolerate her being named after his wife. But Esme wouldn't hear of it, said her name was old-fashioned and nobody used it anymore.

Just then Rosalie and Emmett returned from their hunt. Rosalie crossed the room to where Esme was sitting, exchanged a meaningful glance with her, and picked the baby up, taking her to the loveseat where Emmett was sitting. He looked at mother and child, smiled one of his dimpled smiles and commented "She's a sweet baby that Josie."

"Josie?" I queried. I hadn't heard that name before.

"Yes, Josie" Emmett grinned. "I thought it up when we were out hunting just now. It's a cross between Jasper and Rosie."

I guffawed. "Really, Emmett? Books have been written full of beautiful names for babies and the best you can do is splice Jasper with Rosalie? What's next? Edsper? "

Esme smiled. "Actually, I don't mind it. We could say it was short for Josephine if anyone asked."

I looked around, and heads were nodding. I knew when I was beaten. "Okay then, but her middle name will be her real mother's name, Louise, which we will keep to ourselves out of respect for the Andersons. I sincerely hope that if and when we work out who her father is, it turns out to be Jasper, because if it's Edward he will NOT be pleased."

Rosalie looked down at little Josie, safely cradled in her arms. She ever so slightly rubbed noses with her, and made baby talk; the same baby talk that had consumed her since she brought Josie home. Josie gurgled and opened her eyes very wide, taking in everything around her. Thank heavens for vampire hard skin, I thought. No fully human baby could deal with friction from a vampire Eskimo kiss.

Since everyone was here, I decided to bring up another order of business. "Jasper and Edward have been gone for several months now. I want you to know that I'm still very angry with them, and I always will be, but once these other babies arrive I'm going to have my hands full. Dealing with the parents, working out what to do with the babies and whether they can go home, lots of things. None of us besides Alice has any special abilities, and hers doesn't work around the wolves. So I'm going to call Jasper and Edward and ask them to come home. The wolves won't like it, but frankly at this juncture I don't care what they think."

Esme replied, a look of concern on her face "Are you sure that's wise, Carlisle? Their lives might well be in danger if they return. Can't you get help from the hospital staff with the babies?"

"Not the sort of help I'll be needing my dear. And really, enough time has passed that it would seem strange for the Quileute to suddenly raise issues about them."

She acquiesced. "Well, if you're sure about that, call them and have them here as soon as possible. Perhaps Edward might be able to assist with the births as well. You'd have a better outcome if he was there."

There was merit in that thought. Edward had not been available for Josie's birth and as useful as Rosalie was, she didn't have his medical training. I excused myself, and went to my study to make the call to Alaska.

**EphPOV**

The news of the birth of the first half-vampire reached the Rez a few days afterwards. With it came the news that her mother, Mrs. Anderson, had died in giving birth to her. It was as deplorable as it was predictable. How could any ordinary woman give birth to such a creature, spawn of the undead, and expect to survive it?

I wondered whether the child had itself done something to her mother; any bite, even from an infant, was a breach of the treaty. But the word was that the mother had suffered an abruption; a complication that did sometimes happen. Of course as the presiding doctor Carlisle could certify the cause of death as being whatever he wanted. The reality was we would never know for sure, and without certain knowledge we couldn't act.

And the child had been rejected by her father; when I heard that I assumed he had rejected her because she was so obviously not his, but it turned out that he'd never seen her.

Carlisle had made a rod for his back in allowing the pregnancies to proceed. He could have terminated them early on with very little difficulty, and I was sure a ready excuse could have been found, but once again his much vaunted compassion overrode his common sense.

As a wolf the fate of these women did not directly concern me, but if more died, and I hoped that they didn't, the eyes of the outside world would be drawn towards Forks. Any attention that exposed the true nature of the Cullens risked also exposing us. And with each birth there was the possibility that one of the infants might bite someone and that would void the treaty.

We needed to be watchful, but also keep a low profile.

As I was sitting on a piece of driftwood on the beach thinking about the best way to keep an eye on Carlisle and the new babies, Bill approached. He'd taken his wife and children into Forks for the day to shop, not something many of us did any more as we preferred Port Angeles, but he didn't have the time to go that far afield with his family.

At first I thought he just wanted to shoot the breeze with me but as he got closer I could see that he had an expression of serious intent, and that he was seeking me out to pass on something important. So I kept quiet for a moment and waited for him to unburden himself.

"Dad. I'm pleased I've found you, although I don't think you'll be as pleased to hear from me when I've told you my news" Bill began.

I was dubious about that. How bad could it be? "Okay Bill, just spill it already. I don't think I can stand the suspense any longer."

Bill settled himself down next to me on the log. We both stared out to sea, watching the waves roll in and break close to the shore. It was a fine day, but the surf was choppy and there was a strong wind. After a few moments of silence he continued.

"When we were in town this morning I smelled a Cold One again. It was much stronger than the odor that the women have so I knew it was one of the Cullens. And as you well know we wolves have all spent enough time around them over the years for any one of us to be able to identify them from their scent alone. I hate to have to tell you this but it was Edward. He's back from Alaska, and if he's back then Jasper must be also."

I turned to look closely at him, trying to find something in his expression or body language that might have told me that he was joking. But he wasn't. Both Cold Ones who had been the source of the pain and misery that some of the Forks populace had suffered, and would suffer into the future had returned. Why? Why bring them back knowing that we'd object to their presence amongst us? We were supernatural beings granted, but not mad scientists. Those two no longer had a place here in my view.

I grimaced, and set him at ease. "Relax Bill, I don't believe in shooting the messenger. As a tribe and a pack we need to look into this further and get some answers, and I'm glad in a way that you brought this to me so that we could deal with it now. I suppose I'll have to call Carlisle again; it would've been nice of him to give me a heads up."

Which begged the question; why hadn't he? Did he think we'd try to stop him? He knew my hands were tied by the treaty so why not even try to keep me in the loop? This whole situation had changed Carlisle, and not for the better. He jumped at shadows; always expecting the worst and his rational mind, the one you could negotiate with, was missing in action and had been for some time.

I made the call, and to say I was underwhelmed with Carlisle's excuses was an understatement. He said he needed Jasper and Edward's powers to deal with the babies as they were born. Deal with the parents more like it. He'd been lucky the first time, if you could call it that. More babies would be born; some mothers would survive the births if not most of them, and even if they didn't, not all of the fathers would be as dismissive as Mr. Anderson.

Carlisle was going to need his two biggest weapons; the mind reader and the empath, and with those two in tow he could be guaranteed to get his own way, whatever that was. I couldn't for the life of me see how that was going to be anything other than bad for his patients; but then that depended on what his plans were, and I didn't know the answer to that.

I hated to sit back and wait; but what else could I do? To most of these women and their husbands I was nothing more than that massive Indian they saw from time to time and didn't speak to. They had no idea of my capabilities, and no reason to suspect that the famous Dr. Cullen was anything other than a knight in shining, baby-making armor. It wasn't my place to disabuse them of their faith in him. It was my place to hold him to the agreements that he'd made; **all** of them.

**CPOV**

With Edward and Jasper back in the fold, I could now proceed with the rest of my plan. Ephraim had found out about it somehow, and had given me hell over it. Completely inevitable, and completely irritating. I hadn't asked for this situation any more than he had, but I was trying to make the best of it, and he was being a pain in the neck.

He left me in no doubt that we were being watched, and that the slightest treaty breach would see us run out of town. How he planned to find out whether a breach took place or not was beyond me; he wasn't going to be in the delivery room when any of these children were born and unless he was he'd have no way of knowing what happened. I was the certifying doctor for a reason.

There were not going to be any new vampires created from this process, I would see to that, but even there he was not helpful. All I wanted was the ability to remove the children from their homes; and I needed the boys' powers for that. I wasn't going to do that unless I had to; but I had to have the option.

Ephraim suspected there was more to it than that. And I had for the time being exhausted my reservoir of goodwill with him, so I had to deal with his suspicions and get on with my work.

I scheduled a solid week of Cesareans for my hybrid-bearing patients, explaining to them that with my limited resources I needed to have certainty as to when each of them would bear her child. That way I could be physically present for each birth. I also explained that I would have Edward with me, that he had a degree in medicine and would be assisting me.

One by one we delivered each child; by the time the process was complete there were six girls and six boys. They were similar in some ways; each had very pale skin and brown eyes. And there were differences between them as well; some looked like their mothers, but some also looked like either Edward or Jasper. I hoped that questions wouldn't be raised, but the occasional blonde child was probably easier to explain away than the ones with hair the color of a copper penny.

As for their mothers, by taking control of the process we'd been able to avoid another catastrophe such as had happened the first time. It was as though the children were dormant until a point in time was reached, and if we extracted them from their mothers before then, they were quiescent and didn't cause any issues as they were born.

I'd taken the precaution of obtaining better instruments and my scalpels were sharper, harder and better able to pierce the layers that I had to cut through in order to get to the fetus. With Edward on hand to remove and care for each baby and perform the checks, I was able to operate more quickly and cleanly.

Sadly, it was clear to me that the changes these women had undergone in carrying the hybrids had made it impossible for them to carry another child to term. I pondered perhaps operating to prevent them from falling pregnant again; but as the women had come from infertile marriages I doubted they'd conceive again anyway, and I didn't have permission to do that to them. And I was considering closing the program down anyway; to me the gratification I'd derived from running it had been lost the day I found out about the sabotage.

I was spending far too much time in my head of late, thinking about all of the issues I was having to deal with, coming up with ways to handle them, when all I really wanted was to relax. I couldn't lounge around on the sofa with a glass of wine, but for once I came downstairs and sat in front of the television.

I'd have liked to have been able to just sit and watch it, but the family had other ideas. They wanted to know what was happening with the babies. Everyone started talking at once; as a vampire I could hear each one of them perfectly, but the hubbub bothered me. I yelled "One at a time, PLEASE!"

Emmett, always the light-hearted one, started first. "Are we getting any more babies to bring up here at home? I kinda like having Josie around, it'd be fun to have some more."

I knew he enjoyed being a sort of surrogate father to Josie, as we hadn't worked out yet who her real father was. But I had to let him down. "Not at this point Em, Rose and Esme have been visiting the new mothers, and we've put in place some precautions with the babies and so far everything seems to be working. We feed them on formula and once a week they see Dr. Cullen and I give them some "tonic".

"Tonic as in blood, Carlisle?" Emmett queried.

"Yes, that's right. But it wouldn't do to tell their parents that's what it is so we tread lightly with that. I'd appreciate it if the knowledge of what the tonic is made of didn't leave this room. Even if Ephraim already suspects that the babies are blood drinkers he won't like it; and he will be livid if he finds out that human blood's involved even though it's from the blood bank I set up."

Alice piped up. "What are the babies like, Carlisle? Are they like humans, or vampires, or a mix of both?"

I'd been waiting for some sign that the babies had some powers, or were going to behave in a certain way, but to date I hadn't seen anything. I'd sent Jasper and Edward on the day's visits with Rosalie and Esme to see if they could pick up anything unusual.

"It might be an idea to bring Jasper and Edward in on this question. Did either of you see anything interesting about the babies when you went visiting today?"

The boys glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes. Jasper spoke. "It's early, I mean these are infants we're talking about, but I'm beginning to think that the babies might have powers. And there's something strange about that."

As always, my curiosity was piqued by anything I might be able to study. "Please go on. What did you notice?"

"We-ell", Jasper drawled. "I noticed that some of the babies were giving off an interesting cocktail of emotions, almost like the type of climate I can create by pushing emotions onto people. And it would make sense that some of the babies might be able to do that, since some of them are probably mine anyway. But here's the thing; the babies that were doing that were all **boys**."

"All boys? Are you sure? There were no girls who were able to do that?" I knew it sounded stupid to doubt Jasper, but I had to know.

"Yes Carlisle, I'm certain that I know the difference between a boy and a girl. And I also know when I'm being influenced, and who by. At this stage they only seem to be doing it unconsciously; they're happy or sad and they make everyone around them happy or sad, but they're intelligent, it won't be long before they can do that on purpose."

My eyes widened. Half a dozen more empaths; that would liven Forks up no end. And all boys; they'd be a handful. Especially when they were teenagers...Edward caught my thoughts and grimaced.

That grimace spoke volumes. I wanted to know what he was thinking. "Do you have anything to add Edward?"

"Well, I've been on the lookout to see whether any of the children have my power. Since Josie's the oldest of them I've been watching her very closely and trying a few things. I think she can read my mind; today I was trying to get her to have some milk and she wouldn't, so I thought about the milk and then that there was some blood in the fridge I could give her as a treat. She stopped refusing her bottle, drank her formula and then pointed to the fridge. When I went to the fridge, I held out the blood and she pointed at it and cried for it, so I brought it to her. I hate to say it but she loves her blood; she's a true vampire."

I pondered that. Boy empaths and a girl who might be able to read minds. "Did you test any of the other babies today?"

"I wasn't able to do too much since they're a bit younger but I did in each house try to think about something that the baby might like to have; a bottle or a toy, and where it was. Each baby girl pointed towards where the item was and cried for it; the boys didn't do anything."

I thought back to the deliveries; the copper haired babies, two of them, had both been girls. The only blonde girls had blonde mothers, and their hair was straight. But there were boys with dirty blonde wavy hair like Jasper's.

I mentioned this to the family. They took it in and then looked at each other and at me. Rose was the first to speak. "So what you're telling us is that you think that all the boys are Jasper's and all the girls are Edward's. Which means that Josie is Edward's."

Edward huffed. "The first baby to be born is **mine**, and you name her after that jerk. And I've not been able to return the favor by naming a boy after me."

"Does it matter?" I queried. "In a very real sense she belongs to all of us."

"Yes it does. She deserves to know who her father is and in time she will know. I'll make sure of that."

I needed to find a silver lining from this; and I thought I had one. "Well everyone, look at it this way; if all the girls are Edward's and all the boys are Jasper's, then there's no confusion about where any of them have come from and no future problems if they date each other."

"Date? DATE?" Jasper and Edward spoke in unison. That was something they both could agree on; neither thought the other's offspring was good enough for their children. And neither even wanted to canvass that possibility.

"They're babies, Carlisle. Please don't bring that up again." Poor Edward; I had to feel a bit sorry for him, he had the daughters to worry about. And there'd be a tribe of mini-Jaspers to play with their emotions and plague his thoughts; literally.

"Let's agree to monitor the situation. I'm sure the babies love their parents and are more advanced than the norm; but we have to ensure that they don't use their powers to hurt anyone, including themselves. And we also need to chart their progress; their mothers are due to visit me for checkups this week so I'll have a look then."

When I'd first learned of the creation of the hybrids I'd been appalled; now I was thoroughly intrigued. I wanted these babies to grow to adulthood here in Forks, and I wanted to study them.


	24. Chapter 24

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**1964**

**CPOV**

The hybrids were toddlers now; after all of the drama and apprehension we'd all felt at the time of their conception and birth, life with them in Forks had gone better than I had a right to hope for.

When I'd first begun to plan for life with these half-vampires, I'd feared the worst. That they'd be vicious and feral, impossible to control, like a newborn vampire who's been bitten. But they hadn't turned out that way.

There was a knowingness about them; in spite of the fact that they were infants they were switched on, and it seemed to me that from very early on they could work out that to do or not do something would be good or bad for them, and act accordingly.

They were also very attached to their mothers. Their human fathers less so, and sadly some of those men returned the favor, instinctively realizing that the child wasn't theirs even if the thought never made its way to their conscious mind.

As for the obviously vampiric characteristics these babies had, which became more pronounced the older they got, those did not attract as much attention as I'd feared either. Their eyes were lighter than those of their human parents' and their skin was paler, but then pale skin was no oddity outside of La Push.

The main difference was in their intelligence, and in the firmness of their skin which, whilst not as obvious as that of a full vampire was nonetheless, different to a human baby. But if the parents of these babies noticed anything, they didn't mention it. They seemed to have decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

And they kept their babies at home more than other parents did. I kept my ear out for the town gossip and the consensus was that having waited years to have a baby at all, these mothers were over-protective and they'd get over it in time. It was a nine-day wonder and soon everyone went back to their own lives.

As a family we'd talked about what to do next once the children were old enough for us to know what we were dealing with. I'd waited again until we were all home, and seated around the dining room table that we used for meetings. I began the conversation with an expression of my relief.

"I've brought you all here to talk about where we go to from now on with the hybrids. But can I just say that I'm pleased that we've made it this far without incident. We really dodged a bullet with this one; no thanks to you Jasper. I shudder to think what would have happened if they'd been in any way aggressive in their instincts."

Rosalie snarled. "That's easy Carlisle. We'd be dealing with dead or turning humans and the Volturi breathing down our necks."

She had a point. One of my biggest worries once I'd become aware of what had happened was the Volturi. I'd thought of it in passing during the pregnancies, but I'd pushed it to the back of my mind as one did when the thoughts that dwelt there were too much to bear.

Better late than never; I needed to deal with it now. "I might be clutching at straws, but I really do believe that we can keep the Volturi in the dark about our situation here. It will require us to be vigilant, and to refrain from doing anything else that is reckless or stupid."

I looked at Jasper; silently willing him to toe the party line from now on. I couldn't hide my disappointment in him, and I knew he saw it in my eyes. What I didn't know, since I wasn't an empath, was whether he cared about it or not.

He responded, in a tone of voice which to me seemed defensive, as though I'd stung him. "So, Carlisle, what are the Volturi likely to do? You know them better than anyone."

That I did. "Well firstly, the Volturi as you know are thousands of years old. They measure time differently to others of our race, let alone humans, who to them are like mayflies. Even if they were to decide today to pay their old friend Carlisle Cullen a visit, it might be a century before anyone turned up. I've not seen or heard from any of them since I moved to North America and that was centuries ago. And yet, Aro would not regard our friendship as having lapsed in any way. "

"So they'd be friendly to us if they did turn up?"

"They'd be friendly to **me**, Jasper, and to any of us that hadn't done anything to flout their rules. But surely you must realize that your conduct would place you squarely in their sights; one touch and Aro would know that you were the Jasper Whitlock of the Southern Wars and all else besides. You're to him the antithesis of a well-behaved vampire."

He bristled. "I don't see that you're much better these days. You've lived here for how long? You're not supposed to let humans know about us."

"They don't. I've seen to that. Not one resident of Forks thinks that we're vampires. And the wolves can fend for themselves. Their oral traditions go back centuries; there's no escape for them if they're discovered."

"So what's the issue then? Why are you so concerned about the Volturi?" Jasper seemed puzzled.

I sighed. By vampire standards my family members were all young, too young to have heard of and seen the things I had. "I'm concerned because of the issue around the prohibition on the creation of immortal children. I know that the hybrids aren't in that category and it ought to be clear to even the most unobservant, that these children live and grow, but we can't afford to be complacent."

"So if they did arrive here would we all be safe?" Esme was concerned, as well she might be.

"Maybe and maybe not. But to believe that anyone is ever safe from the Volturi is a mistake. Even if Aro were to refrain from having the children put to death, and their families and us with them, there are other fates that might be just as bad."

"Such as?" Jasper replied combatively.

"Such as that he might find them fascinating and decide to make use of them for his own ends. Every vampire knows, or should know, that Aro is a law unto himself; even his brothers have no real ability to direct his behavior. All we can really do is try to keep a lid on everything and hope that the total lack of interest the Volturi have shown in my activities since I left them to go to the New World, will keep them from my door. What that means in the future I don't know as yet, but secrecy and discretion are paramount. We don't visit them, and we don't do anything to bring them here. And as has been our practice, and Ephraim's, for the past thirty years, no vampire who comes here may live to tell the tale."

I met the gaze of each family member one by one. I wanted to see that they'd absorbed the lesson and would behave with more circumspection in the future. To my surprise, each wore a look of complete seriousness and focus. I supposed that the thought of death at the hands of Aro and his henchmen might do that to a vampire; and if not just that, then the affection for Josie and the other children that we all felt to differing degrees would.

I drew my chair out, and prepared to stand. "I think that's enough for now. Think about what I've said, and try to work out ways that we can operate to keep our situation here a secret from the vampire world into the future. Maybe you don't all see things the way that I do, or have the background that I have, but in spite of everything, I do not want one more life to be lost because these children were born."

Everyone nodded in silent assent. And then the phone rang. I went to answer it, and it was from the husband of one of my patients. His wife was in labor.

My patient was a middle-aged woman who'd thought she'd never have children of her own. She'd not been part of my program but that was more to do with her age than anything; she'd just assumed that it was too late for her.

So to find out that she was pregnant was a thrill for her and her husband, and I was pleased for them too. Their child would be human, not one of Jasper and Edward's offspring, and much loved I was sure.

I collected my equipment, left the house, and went on my way to deliver her baby. She didn't want to give birth at the hospital; so provided that I could set up a proper delivery room environment, I'd agreed to do a home birth.

I pulled up outside her house, got out of my car and, medical bag in tow, knocked on the door.

**JPOV**

Over the past two years my relationship with Carlisle had changed, probably forever. I'd hurt him with what I'd done; every so often, I'd glance at him and he'd be looking at me with an expression of sadness and disappointment.

And I had to admit, it stung me. To lose the respect of one of the world's most compassionate and admired vampires was more of a blow to me than I thought it would be. After a century of the most depraved existence possible, I'd thought myself devoid of any finer feelings, except where my mate was concerned, but dammit, I hated being the source of his disillusionment.

It knocked the wind out of my sails; and my cocky attitude was more of a pose these days than the result of an unshakeable self-confidence, the confidence I'd had when I moved here. Without Alice to brighten my days I sometimes wondered if I'd have stayed here.

But there was one thing we all had in common. As a family, we'd all paid careful attention to the new children. Nobody had known anything about how they'd turn out, not even me, and I'd brought them into being with my plans.

My special interest of course was with the boy empaths. There were half a dozen of them, but I was paying particular attention to one called Sean. From an early age, he'd been able to influence the emotional atmosphere around him, and since he was a happy baby, that had been a good thing for his family.

As time passed though, he started to become very self-aware, much more so than a small child usually would be. I'd been to his home with Esme and Rosalie on occasions and noticed how he'd mischievously make the adults feel giddy, or angry, or morose.

Sometimes I caught his eye and he giggled and seemed very pleased with himself. It was harmless, at least at this stage, and his family seemed to brush it off, as though their ever-changing moods were just a part of life and not a coat he made them wear.

Really, it was a source of amazement to me how ready the parents of these children were to do that; to ignore the odd things they did, or could do. The otherness of the hybrids had no effect on their immediate families other than to make them more proud and more protective, which suited us just fine.

Carlisle believed that the children had no will to hurt their parents, especially their mothers. To him it was a combination of a hyper awareness of what was in their own best interests, coupled with a more human set of emotions than we had.

At first, I hadn't understood what he meant by that. But after Carlisle left to deliver yet another baby, a human one, the rest of us lounged around in the living room talking about his thoughts on the Volturi and the things we'd noticed about the children.

Alice had been very quiet of late; her powers, which we'd hoped would work on the hybrids seemed not to. There was a theory that she could only "see" a creature that she was or had been; and she had never been a hybrid. She was the first to speak.

"What does Carlisle mean when he says that the children won't act against their own interests and won't harm others? They're vampires aren't they?"

Edward answered her. It made sense; Carlisle's mind was an open book to him. "It's a clinical observation he's made. Even from their earliest days the children seemed to know that to use their teeth on anything but food would be a bad thing. And they refrained from biting to an amazing extent."

"What do you mean Edward? Do babies usually bite?" Emmett couldn't contain his curiosity.

"Yes, they do Emmett, as any mother could tell you, especially when they're teething. I've seen in Carlisle's mind how his new mothers are bitten when they're feeding their babies. Carlisle is an experienced doctor; he knows how babies behave and they didn't behave the way he expected them to. He observed them, and noticed how happy they were to be cuddled by their mothers, especially the empaths, and how careful they were around them. It was only a small jump from there to the conclusion that they were actively **choosing** to behave that way."

Choice was a double-edged sword of course; they could choose to be well-behaved, or they could choose to be otherwise. Their present tractability might change as they grew into their abilities.

I decided to give voice to my doubts. "Do you think, or does Carlisle think, that they'll stay that way, Edward? I've been watching them and they seem to be rather well aware of their powers and what they could do with them."

He thought about my question for a minute. "I take it you are referring to what happened when they were here for the first time. Yes, like you I did notice a few things about them. They're more aware of their powers and that others share them, and they're drawn to each other."

On the afternoon in question, Carlisle and Esme had invited the hybrids and their families to the house. During that afternoon, the first time they'd all been together, the children had all congregated together on the floor of the living room. They played happily, but they soon began to realize that they were similar to each other.

I watched them, and saw the awareness dawn that for the boys, each was not the only one with the power to detect and influence emotions. There was a competition, as each tried to assert dominance over the others with his own cocktail of emotions and strength in imposing it. Sean had come out ahead but his good-naturedness had merely caused his playmates to laugh until they cried, making them helpless to combat him.

The girls tried to play more co-operatively, but fought when they began to realize that the things that others thought about them, and that they thought about the others, were known to all of them. Their mothers tried to intervene but in the end the only thing that ended their discord was Sean's little game. Then they laughed and giggled like the boys.

Eventually they all settled, and started to get to know each other. And, although we didn't know it then, from that day onward they all, boys and girls, preferred the company of each other to that of anyone else. Even their own families couldn't give them the support and feeling of belonging that they had from the group.

For that reason, and because they were so much more advanced than the other children their age, Carlisle conferred with their parents and it was decided to school them separately, at least perhaps until they reached High School.

We chose a cleared area on the edge of our land and built a schoolhouse, and some cottages. Three days a week the youngsters would go there and have some pre-school tuition tailored for their particular needs.

Edward and I concentrated on helping them to deal with their powers; other family members with their studies and other aspects of life as an immortal. I fully expected that by the time they were ten or twelve, their education would be complete; so if they chose to go to High School then it would be for social not academic reasons.

But that was years ahead, and there were the wolves to factor in. None of us had any idea how Ephraim and his pack would react to any of this, and he was keeping a low profile, vigilant but removed from our daily lives. He seemed to have decided that in the absence of a clear treaty breach, he would just have to bide his time.

Carlisle had given me reason to fear the Volturi. From now on I'd be more careful; if they'd heard of Jasper Whitlock; my card would have been marked, as it would be anyway as soon as they met me. But as chastened as I was, I hadn't abandoned my plans altogether; the children were docile, but their fierce loyalties meant that if they were ever threatened, they'd react swiftly and with purpose.

For me, that was enough.

**CPOV**

Twelve hours had passed since I'd entered the home of my patient. She had spent almost all of this time in the first stage of labor, but now she was getting to the stage where she needed to start to push.

"Dr. Cullen!"

"Yes?"

"I feel pressure, as though I need to push. What should I do?"

I checked her again, and she was fully dilated. Her vital signs were good and her energy levels surprisingly high for someone who was having her first child so late in life. The medical term for it was elderly primigravida which I'd always thought was an unfair term to use on women who were far from old.

But then, compared to me, no human was elderly. I had three hundred years on her at least; ironic really. I spoke reassuringly to her.

"It's okay, everything's progressing normally. Just remember the instructions that you've had and start to bear down and push when you get the urge to. Push as hard as you can and then release again when the urge passes and wait for the next contraction to strike you. When I tell you to, stop pushing and then pant instead."

She was a little bit afraid, which was understandable for a first baby, but determined. "I'll remember that Doc..."

Just then she was hit by a powerful contraction and began to push, screaming loudly. When the contraction stopped she fell back onto her pillows, and mopped her brow.

"That was intense. I didn't know it would be that bad. Am I going to be okay?"

"You're doing fine, I'd say that after a few more of those you'll be the mother of a bouncing baby boy or girl."

Her husband came to the door to see if everything was alright. She nodded weakly to him and I stepped outside for a moment to have a word with him.

"She's quite okay, don't be bothered about the yelling, that's normal for this stage of labor. I'd be more worried if she kept quiet. She needs to bear down and push, and sometimes women will also make a lot of noise. I'll let you know if anything changes."

I went back into the bedroom and closed the door behind me. Another contraction gripped my patient, and she grunted and pushed firmly but not too hard and with consistent effort. It was paying dividends, the baby was making its way out into the world.

After a few more rounds of this, she was almost finished. The head was about to crown, so I asked her to stop pushing and just pant.

Slowly but surely the head emerged and then, having warmed my hands as much as I could, I helped her to deliver the shoulders. After that the rest of the baby came out easily. I liked to be part of a successful labor, it would never erase the guilt and remorse I felt about Ephraim's wife and Louise Anderson, but each new child was a source of joy for me in my work.

The child was a boy; I quickly checked him over and his Apgar score was eight. I cleaned him up, wrapped him in a blanket, and handed him to his mother. He let out a lusty cry and with that, his father burst in through the door.

Mother and father looked at their infant, their faces bursting with love and pride. I turned to them.

"Congratulations to you both. You have a fine son. Have you decided what you're going to name him?"

They looked at each other knowingly, whispered, and then smiles creased their faces. Helen spoke. "We've talked about this at length over the past few days and we're going to give him the name that I mentioned to you earlier."

I took the baby from his parents so that I could deliver the placenta. But before I placed him in his bassinet I checked him again, noting the intelligence behind his deep brown eyes. And then I said hello to him, using the name his parents had decided on.

"Welcome to the world, Charlie Swan."


	25. Chapter 25

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**A/N: There seems to be some confusion regarding Billy Black. As per the Black family tree in the Twilight Official Illustrated Guide, Ephraim's son was named William, and his son also William (aka Billy). In this fic I have always referred to William Sr. as Bill not Billy. For the record, between writing the original story and publishing the Guide, SM created an extra generation of wolves.**

**1969**

**BPOV**

I first noticed him as a little boy, no more than about two or three, being driven onto the Rez by his folks in a big shiny car, a Ford I thought it was.

His parents were old, they must have been nearly Grandpa Ephraim's age, but unlike Grandpa Ephraim they looked their age. And they were hokwát. That was the strange part, why would they be here?

And then I saw their car pull up outside Uncle Quil and Aunty Molly's house. Aunty Molly was a hokwát too, but we didn't talk about it. I tried to ask Daddy about it once but Grandpa was there and he said I shouldn't talk about it; that Molly was my Aunty and she belonged on the Rez.

And then he gave me the look; only Grandpa has it, and when he looks at you like that you do as he asks. Even Daddy won't argue with him when he's like that.

I wanted to go and see who those people were, so I asked Mommy if I could go to Quil's house. She said I could, but that she'd like to go and see Aunty Molly too. So she took me by the hand and we walked to her house.

Quil was there with the little kid I'd seen. He was the fourth Quil of the family and why they kept using the same name every time seemed really silly to me. Besides, Quil was a stupid name, not like William or Ephraim. I kinda wished that I'd been named after Grandpa instead of Daddy but Daddy said there could only ever be one Ephraim Black.

Anyway, because there were so many Quils around, my friend Harry Clearwater and I decided to call him Four. Billy, Harry and Four, the best group of friends on the Rez. There were some Uley boys too, but I didn't like them much; they were wild.

I went over to Four and asked him who the little kid was. Four said "His name is Charlie Swan. His Dad and Aunty Molly are related; I think they're cousins or something. I heard Mom say that they come out here because Charlie is an only child and they want someone for him to play with."

I snorted. "What is he, three? We're six, why would we want to play with him?"

Four just said that his Mom had asked him to play with Charlie and that he would get some special treats if he did. So he did as she asked and because he was my friend, I did too. That was all there was to start with; something I did to help Four and keep the grown-ups happy.

Maybe that's all it ever would have been but one day when I was on the beach I saw Charlie there and he needed my help.

Some kids were picking on him; calling him names because he was white, pushing and shoving him. I ran over to him and looked around to see who the bullies were who were teasing him. No surprise really, it was Josh Uley and his friends. He was a nasty boy and I didn't like to be around him, although it was hard to stay away since he was from a wolf family.

Not THE wolf family though. I didn't really want to get caught up in this, but I was the grandson of the Alpha. I could almost hear his voice in my head, telling me that I was a Black and I should look after the weak. That if I wanted to be a protector when I grew up now was a good time to start.

So I did what I had to do; I stepped in. "Get lost, Uley; leave the boy alone."

"What if I don't wanna? He's a paleface."

"He's a Swan. He's related to Aunty Molly. Do you want to have Uncle Quil on your back? And if Uncle Quil doesn't sort you out I'll tell Grandpa."

Josh got all huffy. He said "You wouldn't! I was just having some fun here."

"I don't think Charlie is having any fun. Leave him alone and pick on someone your own size."

He could have fought with me I guess but he just shrugged his shoulders and then turned away and ran off. I supposed that even if he wasn't going to do something on my say so he knew enough not to annoy Grandpa Ephraim. Nobody on the Rez was that stupid.

I went over to Charlie and asked him if he was alright. He stood up and brushed himself off. "Thanks. I think I'm okay now. I've seen you at Aunty Molly's; you're Billy Black aren't you?"

I just quietly nodded to him. "Yes, my Dad is Bill Black. And Quil is my Uncle who is married to Aunty Molly. Are you going to be coming to the Rez a lot?"

"Yeah I think so. Mommy and Daddy want me to have someone to play with and they know Aunty Molly. We don't really know anyone in Forks and I don't have any brothers or sisters."

"Well you can play with me then next time you come here. But I think now you need to go back to Aunty Molly's house; don't worry, I'll take you."

That was three years ago; since then we'd become buddies. Charlie was a gangly kid with dark curly hair, and pale. I was a bit more solid, and not much taller, seeing as how he was younger than me. Together with Harry and Four we ran riot on the Rez, playing down on the beach and fishing when the weather was fine.

Today we were all at my house, playing cards and chatting quietly. The weather was fine, but it was cold, and so we stayed inside. I'd seen some strange kids in Forks on my last trip there and I thought I'd ask Charlie about them.

"Hey Charlie?"

He looked up at me. "Yeah Billy?"

"I was wondering do you know anything about those weird kids I've seen around Forks?"

Maybe he hadn't noticed them, but it was worth a try.

"What weird kids? I don't see many kids and those that I do see just look like us. Well, not like you Billy but you're brown. All I ever see in Forks are other pale kids like me."

"Are there any that are really pale? Like ghostly pale?"

"Oh you mean like the Cullen girl and some others around town. Haven't seen much of them, they keep to themselves. And if you ask me, they're weird; I don't wanna have anything to do with them."

"Do they go to school?"

"Nope, they get home-schooled by the Cullens. Why do you want to know anyway?"

"Just curious. I saw one last time I was there and he made me feel really strange; like I was scared, but I knew I wasn't scared because I'd been fine until he saw me."

Charlie shivered. "You're creeping me out Billy; can we talk about something else? I could show you my baseball cards."

Just then Harry and Four looked up from their game of snap. Harry looked bugged. "Yeah Billy, who cares about palefaces anyway? Sorry Charlie, we don't mean you; you're part of the Rez now."

**EphPOV**

Amelia and I were going to Bill's house for dinner. He and Judy had five children now; Nora, Billy, the twins Jennie and Connie, and the baby Emmie. I loved my grandchildren dearly, but sometimes it was hard to see the girls all there, especially the twins, and not be reminded of the babies I'd lost, as well as their mother.

And time was marching on; with every day that passed I was reminded that one day I'd lose Amelia as well. We were both in our fifties now; I was fifty-five and she was a year or two older. She was ageing and I wasn't which was causing her to doubt herself and sometimes fall into despair.

It didn't matter how often I told her that she was my wife, that I'd chosen her and wanted no other woman. Every night she went to bed with a man who looked young enough to be her son, and every morning she woke up with a man who looked exactly the same. And she did so knowing that she did not wake up the same; as slow as it was, she was growing older in years and looks.

Tonight I found her in front of the mirror, checking herself minutely looking for wrinkles and grey hairs. It wasn't the first time she'd done that and it wouldn't be the last. I walked silently up behind her and even though she could have seen me approach, so focused was she on her self-scrutiny that she had no idea I was there until I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed.

She jumped; or tried to. My grip was too strong for her to go far. I nuzzled her neck, my long black hair falling in front of my face. "What have I said to you about that my love? You spend far too much time in front of that mirror."

"I know" Amelia groaned. "But I can't help it. I'm a grandmother, and I look like one, and here I am married to the handsomest man on the Rez. I worry that one day you'll leave me for a younger woman."

Damn Carlisle Cullen to the furthest depths of hell. If it wasn't for him Bill would be Alpha and I'd be ageing right along with her. Not that such insults had any effect on him; I knew him well enough to know that he believed he was damned from the moment he was bitten. But that my wife had to suffer one moment of doubt of my enduring love for her was an outrage, and I could do nothing about it.

All that I could do was to be there day in and day out, and tell her every day that I loved her. Most of the time it was enough, but on days like today it was hard for her. And as much as I liked young Charlie Swan, the presence of his family on the Rez was a complication, because they weren't party to the secret and the disparity between Amelia's appearance and mine was noticeable.

I gritted my teeth. "Amelia. How long have we been married now? A quarter of a century at least. Have I ever, in that time, given you any reason to believe that I wanted to leave you?"

She turned around to face me, craning her neck to meet my gaze. "No, you haven't, and I love you for it. But in ten years time you'll still look the same and I'll be an old woman."

"Have you forgotten I'm almost the same age as you? I may look twenty-five, but I'm not that age. We belong together, and I don't give a damn who thinks otherwise. Nobody on the Rez would ever question our relationship and nobody outside of the Rez has a right to know about it."

"That's fine in theory Ephraim but you know as well as I do that if I walked with you anywhere in Forks or Port Angeles the people who saw us would think you were my son."

Sadly, she was right about that. Not that I cared for my own part, but for hers I felt the insult to her that those assumptions implied. "I'm happy to acknowledge you as my wife wherever we go, but if you're uncomfortable with that feel free to call me Bill when we're out. We get mistaken for each other all the time by the hokwáts. After all don't all Indians look the same?"

Amelia laughed. It was a small, weak laugh, but it was better than nothing. She buried her head in my chest and inhaled. Somehow my scent seemed to soothe her, and strengthen her resolve.

Which brought me to the issue today. We were going to be at Bill's house and Charlie would be there as well as other Rez families. Amelia lived in fear that he would say something in front of everyone; I thought he was still too young to really notice, but it was an issue that needed to be addressed if we were going to allow outsiders onto the Rez. Otherwise my wife would never venture from her home, and that possibility was unacceptable to me.

I decided to have a quiet word to Quil and Molly soon; to see what had been said already to the Swans and to work something out for the future. In the meantime, we had a visit to make.

"Are you ready to leave now my love? We shouldn't be late; I don't want Bill and Judy to be put to any bother."

"Yes Ephraim, I'm ready. As ready as I'll ever be."

I opened the door, waited for her to go outside, followed her and closed it behind us, taking her arm in mine. Amelia tilted her head to the side and rested it on my shoulder, and together we walked to Bill's house, chatting as we went.

**BPOV**

I heard a knock on the door, and then Grandpa walked in with Grandma Amelia. She wasn't my real Grandma, but my real Grandma had died a very long time ago, when Daddy was only little. The funny thing was, although Grandma Amelia was the same age as Grandpa or maybe a bit older or younger, because he was a wolf he was starting to look a lot younger than her.

That was something I wasn't allowed to talk about. There were lots of things we weren't allowed to talk about. There was also the fact that Grandpa and Daddy looked like brothers. We weren't like the other families in town, and not even all of the families on the Rez were like that.

I wondered if Charlie would notice; I was sure that he would one day when he was older. Harry, Four and I knew things about the Rez that Charlie didn't, and sometimes it was tough to keep it secret like we had to. Mainly because it was **so cool**.

It's not easy to get used to the idea that your Daddy and Grandpa are wolves. I've seen them in their wolf forms; Grandpa is HUGE and russet brown. I hope I can be a wolf someday. And when I do, it'll be hard to keep that a secret from Charlie; but I'll have to.

I ran to Grandpa. "Grandpa! Grandma Amelia!"

Yeah, I knew it wasn't cool to be like that with your Grandpa but Harry Charlie and Four didn't care, they thought he was awesome.

He scooped me up and sat down; asking me about my day. The others crowded around and while Mommy and Grandma Amelia did the cooking, he told us stories. He said that they were legends, and fairy tales; but they were children's versions of the stories that we told at the bonfires, and I knew they were true. Charlie didn't know that though; while he sat at Grandpa's feet and listened, taking in every word he said, I laughed and rolled my eyes.

Later, after dinner, and after Charlie had been collected by his Mom and Dad and gone home, Grandpa came to my room as I was getting into bed. He tucked me in and then sat down on a chair next to it.

He looked very serious, and I was afraid of what he might say to me. "Billy, I need to speak to you about what happened earlier. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

I knew exactly what he was talking about. I looked down; I didn't want to see the look in his eyes. I hated it when he was upset with me. "Do you mean when you were telling your stories and I laughed and rolled my eyes?"

"Yes Billy, I mean precisely that. I know that Charlie is going to be here a lot, but he is not one of us; as much as we would like him to be. So he can never know our secret, and that means if I tell him some stories like I might at a bonfire, you must never do anything to make him think that they're true. And you must also not make him feel silly for enjoying them just as stories, which is all they are to him. I was watching him, and he seemed confused as to why you were acting the way you did."

"I'm sorry Grandpa, I guess I can't help that I think you and Daddy being wolves is so cool. I wish I could tell him and show him what you look like as a wolf."

Grandpa sighed. I was only a kid but sometimes, like now, he seemed to me to be sad, like he had too many things to worry about.

"There's nothing cool about being a wolf, Billy. If you ask your Dad he'll say the same thing. It's painful, and strange, and a big responsibility. If you become one, and I hope you don't, no thought you have while phased will ever be your own again."

I stretched my arms out to try to reach him. He got off his chair and kneeled down on the floor of my room. Even then he towered over me; he was so huge he filled every room he walked into.

"Hug me grandpa? I know how hard you and Daddy work to protect the Rez, and I won't be silly about it again. I don't want you to be mad at me."

Grandpa leaned over and pulled me over to him and wrapped me up in a great big hug. I could hardly breathe, there was so much of him and so little of me. And his long hair tickled my neck. He kissed the top of my head and then set me back down again.

He stood up then and went over to the light switch. But before he turned it off he said "Goodnight Billy. I love you, and so does Grandma Amelia, so sleep well, and we'll see you tomorrow."

And then the light went out, and I rolled over and went to sleep, dreaming about wolves. An enormous russet one, a smaller and paler red-brown one with russet tips and another one. It was smaller again, the same color as the second one, but with russet spots. In my dream, I was that wolf; running free in the forest with my Dad and Grandpa. I didn't care what Grandpa said, I knew I'd be a wolf one day.

**A/N: Every so often in writing this, I have an idea for an outtake. If anyone would like to see an outtake of something in the story; maybe a bit that was not explored in detail, something that was left out or an alternate POV, please feel free to message me. PM me on here, or send a direct message on other sites. I am also on twitter as bmitw1. Any that I may write will only be posted before the story is complete if they don't give away the ending. :)**


	26. Chapter 26

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**1969**

**JPOV**

The children were six or seven years old now; and although most of them still lived with their families, they spent a lot of time with us.

Edward and I had been responsible from the earliest days for dealing with their special powers. It was as much about what not to do as what to do; this was a small town after all. And although I was not the poster boy for restraint and self-effacement, I did what I had to when my future was at stake.

Rosalie and Esme cared for them as some kind of vampire nursemaids; a strange concept, but they were still young and needed affection from beings that they couldn't hurt. Carlisle monitored their health, which left Emmett and Alice.

I'd like to say that those two were useful; but the reality was that Emmett's skill set wasn't needed, and that was a plus. Alice was beholden to her visions, and didn't get enough of them to be settled and happy. She wandered the house with a distracted expression on her face most of the time; searching for that vision that might give us a glimpse of our futures with the children. As much as I loved her, there were times when she was out of my reach.

I was headed to the school for the day; sometimes I went to teach them history and philosophy, but today it was more about being in the background and assessing the children. I liked to now and then just sit back and watch them; it was important to read the mood of the room and check for undercurrents or emotional issues before they got out of hand.

Today, for once, it wasn't the children who were agitated, it was Edward. I was watching him teach the Science class, and suddenly his focus turned from the blackboard to one of the boys.

"Nicholas! I want to speak to you. Please come to the front of the classroom, NOW."

I tuned into Nicholas' emotions. As he walked towards the front of the classroom he was feeling some fear, but his emotions were mainly triumphant. That was strange. But I wasn't left in the dark for long, as Edward began to remonstrate with him.

"Am I to understand that the last time you were out and about in Forks, you spotted a Quileute and pushed emotions of fear onto him? Yes, that's right, I read your mind or have you forgotten that I can do that?"

Nicholas looked down, and shifted his stance a bit. Then I began to feel a foreign emotion starting to try to take over my current, watchful state. Time to make my presence felt.

"You can cut that out right now Nicholas" I growled, standing up from my chair at the back of the classroom and moving to the front to speak to them both.

Since I couldn't pick Edward's thoughts out of his mind, I was going to have to do this the usual way. We spoke at vampire speed, having worked out that as advanced as the children were, they couldn't quite keep up with our speech if we went all out.

Edward filled me in on all of the details that he'd gleaned from Nicholas' thoughts, and it was clear that not only had he done exactly that, but to Quileute royalty. We weren't that familiar with the latest generation of wolves, they'd largely avoided us since the children were born, but Edward had seen the affected child in Nick's mind, and he was in no doubt that the victim of his prank had been a Black.

There was something about that family, in their looks and in the way they carried themselves. Nobody who had met one could ever be in any doubt about whether they were Blacks or not. This was going to be awkward.

I checked the time. The class was almost over. Edward and I looked at each other and he inclined his head subtly. I turned to the children.

"You're excused. Mr. Cullen and I are going to have a conversation with Nicholas, and you may go to your next class with Mrs. McCarty. We'll see some of you later."

There were some mutterings, which I silenced with a look, and then slowly the class filed out of the room, glancing at Nicholas as they went. The boys seemed more sympathetic than the girls, but then they hadn't read his mind.

Edward motioned towards a chair, and asked Nicholas to sit down. I grabbed a chair from behind a desk, turned it around, and sat leaning over the chair back, with my arms around it. I was not the teacher here, just the observer, and I needed to make sure that he didn't try anything.

When everyone was settled, he began to speak. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but in your thoughts I saw that you'd had an encounter with a Quileute boy, and that you tried to influence his emotions to make him fear you. Is that correct?"

Nicholas looked shamefaced, and more than a bit nervous. His emotions bore out that assessment as well. It was an expression that few of these children ever wore, mainly because the normal bravado of childhood was amplified by their knowledge that they were indeed indestructible.

They deferred to us though; they had to, we were full vampires, and decades (or centuries) older than them. There was a pause, while the boy worked out what he was going to say. There was nowhere for him to hide; Edward knew what he was thinking anyway, and I knew how he felt about it.

Eventually though, he collected himself and began to speak. "Yes, Mr. Cullen sir, that's right. I saw this boy, he wasn't pale like us and he looked at me like I was a freak. So I pushed some emotions of fear onto him; I thought it would make him scared of me but it didn't seem to work. Who was he anyway?"

"He was Billy Black, Nicholas. For your exercise in playing around with the feelings of a Quileute, you chose the grandson of the tribal Chief. Not a wise move; we'll pay for this once Ephraim Black finds out about it."

Nicholas seemed puzzled by that. "So I've insulted the grandson of the Chief? I'm truly sorry, but what can they do to us? We're vampires, or I'm a half-vampire. They're just Indians."

Perhaps we'd been wrong to shelter the children from the reality of our relationship with the Quileute and the day to day operations of the treaty. We'd all thought that there was time enough to teach them that when they were older. And we didn't want to create a situation where their youth and natural curiosity drew them to a place where they'd been warned not to go.

But it was clear to me that at least for Nicholas, the time to learn about the wolves was now. Edward decided to tell our charge a story about their dealings with the first pack in the days before Alice and I joined the family.

"There's something you need to understand, Nicholas. Since the earliest days of our time here in Forks, we've had to deal with the Quileute. They aren't all normal humans, some of them are shapeshifters who can assume the form of wolves. And in that form, they can tear us to shreds."

Nicholas looked shocked. Edward continued his story. "When Mr. McCarty was only a young vampire, he dazzled a woman from the Reservation just for fun. She went back to La Push spouting whatever it was that he'd trained her to say. When Ephraim Black found out about it, we almost lost our home here, and perhaps even our lives."

I hadn't known that they'd been threatened with death. Like Nicholas, I was now hanging on every word that Edward said.

"I can still remember Ephraim's thoughts about Carlisle; your creator and the most compassionate and human-friendly vampire in existence. I didn't relay to everyone everything that he was thinking; but he made it very clear that as far as he was concerned, dazzling humans for any reason was wrong. He also thought that if staying in Forks presented issues for us, then we should leave. But by far the most horrifying thought he had was in response to Carlisle's wish to stay in one place where he could belong. His thoughts were that if life for us as a family was so awful, we could 'always walk into a bonfire'. He was even going to let us over the treaty line to attend one if we'd guarantee there'd be, as he put it, a 'pile of purple ash afterwards'."

"Make no mistake Nicholas. The Quileute hate us and tolerate our presence only because they have to. We made a promise to them then, that we would refrain from interfering with the tribe. In Ephraim Black's own words 'MY tribe, MY rules, you don't go near them'. Your behavior has made our position here more difficult, and I don't doubt that a representative of the tribe will be in touch with us very soon to complain about your conduct."

Edward had finished his speech, and strong emotions were rolling off Nicholas in waves. Shame, fear, and a smidgen of curiosity. Maybe we were right to keep the children in the dark about the Quileute until now. I decided to try to settle him before he left us for his next class.

"As disappointed as we are in you, you'll have our support in this. Everyone is allowed a mistake, and perhaps in not warning you and the others earlier about the Quileute we were wrong. But you need to make sure that everyone realizes that this cannot happen again. Mr. Cullen and I will deal with this, leave it in our hands and go for now."

He smiled, the first smile since he'd been called out of the class. "Thank you Mr. Whitlock. I'll be sure to tell the others to behave around the Indians, or tell half of them anyway. The other half will read my mind!"

I allowed a smile to play around the edges of my lips. He was right about that. The only reason the girls didn't gossip was that they had no need to; they knew everything already.

"You're welcome. And please, refer to the tribe as the Quileute. It won't impress Carlisle if he hears you using slang about them. They are a proud people and especially in this new era of civil rights for all races we are going to be trying to deal with them respectfully; which will be harder for me than you might think."

I grabbed my coat and headed for the door. My work here was done for the day and I needed to go home and wait for the inevitable phone call. When it came, I would, for once, try to make myself useful to Carlisle and help him to deal with it. To my surprise though, when the phone rang, the person on the other end wasn't Ephraim Black.

**EphPOV**

I was relaxing at home with Amelia; sitting in my easy chair and reading a book. Amelia was sewing, and we were catching up with each other on the day we'd had. Then I heard a knock on the door. I got up and went to answer it, to find Bill on the other side. That wasn't like him, usually he just tapped on the door and came inside. If he was being formal with me, it could only mean that he had some news to pass on to me, and I was sure it would be something that I didn't want to hear.

I let him in, and he ambled over to Amelia, leant down, and hugged her, kissing her forehead. "Hi Mom, how are you?"

"I'm well son, what about you and the family?"

He chortled, and said, "About the same as we were yesterday when you last saw us. But I need to talk to Dad about something, so if it's all right with you we'll take a run in the forest."

After twenty-odd years, Amelia was used to our ways. She waved us off, and we left the house, making for the forest nearby where we could phase. After tuning in, we found Young Quil on patrol, and I sent him home to Molly so that we could share our thoughts in private.

I enjoyed my time in the forest with Bill; he and I still remembered fondly his runs on my back as a child, but now we were both wolves and we ran as equals. We shared our minds and he told me about the incident that had so concerned him.

Before Amelia and I had arrived at Bill's house for the family dinner, Judy had overheard Billy talking to Charlie and his friends about the odd behavior of a child in Forks. She had not wanted to make a scene when there was company, but after we'd left she'd retired to bed with Bill and told him about the conversation.

Bill knew enough about the hybrids to suspect the involvement of one of them; and although I wasn't sure, the effect on Billy that the boy had induced sounded a lot like the abilities that I knew Jasper had.

This was enough proof, at least for me, that these children had powers. Not something I wanted to believe. And also that they might be immature enough, or malicious enough, to use them. On the one hand, I felt a strong urge to shirtfront Carlisle and demand that he rein them in. But on the other hand, I had a feeling that my intervention in this case might just be overkill.

On one level it was no more than one child bullying another child; playground stuff, best handled by the parents and teachers. My involvement would escalate matters, it was best if I sat this one out and left it with Bill.

He read my thoughts and gave me his take on it. _"So, you think that it would be better if I dealt with this, at least to start with."_

"_Yes, and it might give us an advantage. They will expect me to go in all guns blazing as I have before; if you deal with the matter it will allow them to save face, after all they bear ultimate responsibility for these children. You can't expect human parents to rein in half-vampires. You can ask, very reasonably, that such a thing should not happen again and they will feel honor bound to carry out your wishes, after all you are Billy's father."_

"_I had thought you should be involved with this, but you're right. You are the Chief now; our leader and the buck stops with you. That power should not be wasted. I'll try to contact the Cullens by phone, and let you know how I get on. If they don't want to play nice, then I'll call you in."_

"_Do that, but don't be surprised if they give in to your demands. As long as Carlisle wants to remain here, we have bargaining power and more of it than he does."_

Bill turned to face me, his tongue lolling out on the side of his mouth. I knew what that meant; the race was on. We tore through the forest, our paws pounding the undergrowth. There was a tree several miles further in which we always made for; and it was a point of pride for the first of us to make it. He'd never beaten me except by taking off early, but I was in my fifties now, and starting to slow infinitesimally. For the first time ever, Bill beat me in a fair race.

I rolled my eyes. He'd be dining out on this for months; young dog overcomes old dog. I could only hope that Levi didn't see it in the pack mind; he still fancied himself as a swift runner and Charles was nowhere near his speed even now. Something he'd be sure to remind me of.

We rested for a while, drank from a stream, and then headed for home, loping along at a much slower pace than before. Near the edge of the treeline we stopped near our piles of clothes, resumed our human forms, dressed and went back inside my house.

Amelia looked up. "Are you staying for dinner Bill?"

He shook his head. "No thanks Mom, I need to get home and get some issues sorted out. Maybe I'll bring Judy and the kids over next week."

A look of disappointment flashed across her face, but was soon gone. "That's fine Bill, we'll see you then."

I followed him to the door and whispered quietly _"Don't agree to meet with them in private if you're going to go alone. I'm as tired of these treaty line meetings as you are, but the line has served us well. See what they say, and then come up with something that you can live with. I'll be phased when you go, if there's any trouble phase yourself and I'll be there right away."_

**JPOV**

I answered the phone. "Hello... Cullen residence, Jasper Whitlock speaking."

"This is Bill Black speaking. Is Carlisle Cullen there please? I'd like to speak to him."

"He's not at home at the moment, is there anything I can help you with?"

"It's in relation to an incident between one of your...er...**children**, and my son Billy. I'd like to discuss it with a view to ensuring that it doesn't happen again."

"Carlisle hasn't had any involvement with that issue, but Edward and I are aware of it. Would you be interested in speaking to us about it? We could meet at the treaty line."

"I'm not interested in escalating this to a full treaty issue. I'd like for once to have this sorted out as a parental and school matter. If there's somewhere public where we could meet I'd prefer that."

"Would you be interested in coming to the school? Perhaps it's time for your tribe to know more about the children, and you know that for as long as the treaty is in force both parties are bound to behave appropriately. You will not be harmed if you go there."

"I'll come to the school on one condition. There will only be you, Edward and the child responsible there, and I will bring Billy so that the two of us will be able to meet and speak to him. I will hold you to your assurance that we won't be harmed, but just in case I will have backup phased in the forest."

I could deal with that. No biting of humans yada yada yada. Besides, Bill was a wolf, he'd taste revolting. I smirked, best not let Edward or the girls see **that** thought. But I welcomed the meeting; it was an opportunity to expose Nicholas to the consequences of what he'd done.

I was all for the children learning these types of lessons; actions have consequences, be aware of them when you make your choices and own the results. I knew some members of the family thought I'd brought the hybrids into being on a whim, but nothing I did was ever half-baked.

The silence was beginning to hang; I collected myself and answered him. "Those terms are acceptable to me, and I'm sure to Edward as well. We'll see you there after school tomorrow, if you can be there then."

"We'll be there." He hung up; I flopped onto the couch and while I waited for Edward and the rest of the family to come home I read another Civil War book. I liked this one; it had my picture in it, Jasper Whitlock, war hero and MIA. If only they knew...

The next day, after classes for the day were finished, I found Nicholas and told him that he needed to stay behind and that we'd take him home ourselves. Half an hour later, we were sitting on a bench outside, waiting for our guests to arrive. Edward was talking to Nicholas, and I was drumming my fingers on the tabletop in sheer boredom.

We smelled them before we saw them. Nicholas wrinkled his nose and blurted out "What IS that smell sir? It's rank!"

A deep voice answered his question, in a tone that bespoke annoyance. "That's me, young man, it is my wolf that you can smell and I can assure you that he finds your scent of candied bleach pretty unpleasant as well."

We looked up, and a tall well-built man stood before us. Had I not met the original, I could easily have believed that he was Ephraim Black; they looked so similar that it was uncanny. The main difference was in height; Ephraim was monumental at about 6 feet 8 inches or more, whereas this man was a more manageable 6 feet 6. Yeah, right. He was still tall enough to frighten the life out of my charge, who was craning his neck to look at him, golden eyes wide.

I stood, and introduced Nicholas to Bill Black and his son. "Bill, this is Nicholas West. Nicholas, this is Mr. Bill Black and his son Billy."

Nicholas smiled and said hello to the Blacks. So far so good. I continued. "Nicholas, it was Billy who you saw in Forks the other day and tried to affect. He is here with his father so that we can resolve this problem; as Mr. Cullen and I have already said to you, your behavior that day was unacceptable. Perhaps if Mr. Black would explain to us what he would like to have happen now, we can sort this out and move on."

"Mr. Black can certainly do that. Nicholas, would it be fair to say that you have the ability to manipulate the emotions of others?"

"Yes, sir, it would. And I can also sense the emotions of others as well."

"And so when you saw my son Billy in Forks you sensed...what, precisely?"

"He looked at me, and I sensed that he disapproved of me and found me repulsive."

"And you did what in response to that?" Nicholas squirmed, this was like an interrogation.

"I tried to push fear into him, but all it did was make him stare hard at me. He didn't become frightened of me at all."

"Of course I didn't fear you" Billy butted in. "You're a Cold One, why would I be scared of you? I'm a BLACK."

"Now Billy", his father said. "Let's keep it polite, taunting won't get us anywhere. Here's what I would like to see; a cessation of this type of behavior from your students towards the tribe and other humans. If you want to make that official I am sure that the Chief can be consulted, but as far as I am concerned this is all a part of the existing treaty. Nicholas may not have bitten Billy but you must know by now that we take a dim view of the use of other vampire powers on our people."

Oh yes, I knew all about that. The mere existence of these children had been a sore point with the Quileute ever since they'd found out about them. And no biting was ever involved in their creation.

I looked at Edward. He had been reading the minds of the Blacks, I had no doubt about that, but hadn't detected any trace of duplicity, or I would have sensed distrust coming from him. So whatever was in their minds were probably only the usual fantasies of purple smoke. He was exuding acceptance and a trace of boredom. Time to get this over with.

"Is there anything you'd like to add Edward?"

"No I don't think so Jasper." he turned to our visitor. "I'll ensure, as will we all, that the children are made aware of their responsibilities behavior wise, especially around your tribe. You can rest assured Bill that this won't happen again."

Bill seemed to be satisfied with that answer. "We'll leave now; please make good on your promise, because if you don't you'll be hearing from my father. And that will make it an official treaty matter which none of us want."

He took Billy by the hand and started to leave the meeting. Just then Nicholas tugged at my sleeve. "Please Mr. Whitlock, can I ask for something?"

"And what would that be?"

"I've never seen a wolf before. Can I see Mr. Black as one?"

"That's up to him. He's not a performing seal Nicholas, he doesn't transform for the fun of it."

Bill turned to me and quirked an eyebrow. "No, young man, I don't. But if it will help you to learn your lesson I'll do it this once. Once you know what it was that you were messing with, it might prevent you from wanting to do it again."

He walked several feet away, indicated where he wanted Billy to stand, and transformed. I watched Nicholas closely, he was awed and fascinated with the sight before him, and more than a little afraid. Thank goodness it wasn't Ephraim Black here, his wolf was both enormous and terrifying. This one was smaller, but still impressive, a lighter color than his father's and with russet tips.

Edward met the gaze of the wolf, communed silently with him, and eventually spoke. "Bill Black apologizes, but says we must understand that he cannot now speak to us or resume his human form. He would be naked if he did that, so he needs to go into the forest as a wolf and collect some clothing that he has there. He and Billy will be leaving now, and he says goodbye and thanks us for our co-operation."

That was not a problem for me at all. I'd seen his father naked and that was enough. The three of us headed for Edward's car, so that we could deliver Nicholas to his family in Forks, and as we walked away we saw a large wolf disappearing into the forest, a small and very excited boy on his back.


	27. Chapter 27

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**1975**

**ChPOV**

There was something very wrong with my friend. Even though I was only eleven, I'd been best buddies with Billy now for years, and he'd always been fun to be around. And he'd taken care of me out on the Rez when nobody else had.

So why was he being such a jerk? He was angry all the time, picking fights with me and with everyone else. He didn't want to hang out with me any more either; the last time I'd gone out to the Rez to see him his mother had answered the door and said he wasn't home.

I knew he was though, I'd seen him inside his bedroom as we drove past. I had no friends in Forks to speak of; I'd spent too much time out here.

We were out on the Rez again today. I'd knocked on Billy's door and been told that he was sick and couldn't see me. Mom & Dad asked me what I wanted to do; they were going to visit Aunty Molly and Uncle Quil. I said I'd be okay, that I'd maybe go for a walk on the beach and then go and see Harry. I got out of the car and headed for the water, kicking a can as I went.

I found a big piece of driftwood, sat on it, and stared out to sea. As I sat there I remembered some of the fun times I'd had with Billy.

There was the time when we were fishing and I caught the biggest fish I'd ever seen. I t was ENORMOUS, a great big salmon, the biggest salmon EVER I thought. Billy snorted and said he'd seen bigger, but when I asked him if he'd caught any that big he huffed and said no. I teased him, said I was better at fishing than him; he just laughed and said 'yeah right, of course you are Charlie Swan.'

Sometimes he came to my house, but not often because he didn't leave the Rez much. I didn't know why that was really but I was sure it had something to do with those weirdo kids who were in Forks. Since one of them had tried to do something to Billy the Blacks didn't go into town, they went into Port Angeles if what they needed wasn't in the Rez store.

But I hassled Mom and Dad about it and they managed to get him to come and visit a few times. His Dad or Granddad would bring him, leave again and come back later. They didn't hang around our house but they didn't leave Forks either; strange that, you never saw them around.

When Billy was at the house, we'd watch TV, or play board games, or just run around outside. I knew some of my schoolmates played cowboys and Indians, but doing that with a real Indian wasn't right. So we played cops and robbers. I liked to be the cop, but I didn't always get to be. Or we'd get a football and toss it around instead.

I liked card games. I especially liked the memory games; Billy said it was freakish, how much I remembered and noticed things. But I just shrugged, if I was going to be a cop when I grew up I'd need to learn how to pay attention.

Good times; times when we could all just be boys together and hang out. So why had he brushed me? It made me sad. I felt like part of my life was ending and things would never be the same again.

I heard footsteps, and when I looked up Harry was standing there. I thought I'd do something with him instead, but he frowned at me and when he finally spoke, he was rude.

"You need to leave Charlie. And don't come back until you hear from one of us again. It's not safe for you here anymore."

Huh? Not safe? My buddies were the ones who made it safe for me; I'd not had a problem out here for years. What was he talking about?

"What are you talking about Harry? I'm safe here and I have been ever since Billy chased off Josh and the others."

"That's as may be, but for now, Charlie you're not safe from US. Billy's changing, he won't be the same any more, and you won't be able to see him for a while. I'm sorry but that's how it has to be."

I got mad. Real mad. Billy was changing all right, and not for the better. "By changing I suppose you mean getting angry all of the time and shouting at everyone. I even saw him yell at his Mom the other day, and that's bad Harry, he never used to do that."

Harry looked at me funny; was he getting mad too? He kind of shook his head, like something wasn't right with him, and spoke to me again.

"Yeah, Charlie I know about that. It's okay, Billy's Dad handled it. But it's not just that though, haven't you noticed how big he's getting? He's so much bigger than you now. You really shouldn't be around him when he's like this."

Harry was right about that. Hard to miss when your best friend grows a foot in a month or two. I'd always been lanky, and until Billy shot up we'd been nearly the same height. Now I looked like a midget compared to him. But I guess I wasn't as put out about that, you only had to look at his Dad and Granddad to know what he'd be like.

Speaking of his Granddad, Ephraim Black, what was with him? He must have been about sixty by now, Billy's Dad was nearly forty, but they didn't look a day over twenty-five or thirty at most. My Dad was old when I was born, and looked even older now. He looked his age but the Blacks never did. How come? Even their wives got older.

I had two choices. I could leave like Harry wanted me to, or I could get some answers. My friend was gone and it wasn't good enough. I missed him and I wasn't a coward, I wasn't going to just go away with my tail between my legs.

I got up and went to run back to the Blacks' house. Harry grabbed me by the arm. His grip was strong and like fire; why was his hand so hot? I stared at him, noticing for the first time that he too was taller than before, and getting mad.

I jerked away hard and caught him by surprise. He let go of me, and I ran off. I would go and see Billy if it was the last thing I did.

I ran to the house, took hold of the doorknob and yanked the door open. So what if I was only eleven? I had a right to know what was going on. I was sure everyone else did and I was tired of being kept in the dark.

But when I got inside, I looked around and couldn't see anyone. Where were the Blacks? Mrs Black and the girls were probably at Aunty Molly's but what about Billy and his Dad? They were here earlier.

I heard loud noises coming from the forest behind the Black's house. I darted back out of the front door and then, as quietly as I could, tiptoed around the side and towards the source of the noise. When I got close enough, I hid behind a tree and tried to see what was going on.

Billy was there, and although it had only been a week or so since I'd last seen him, he seemed huge all of a sudden. Not more than a couple of inches shorter than his father; what would that make him? I didn't even want to guess.

He was shaking, and seemed to be sweaty, like he was overheating or something. He was arguing with his Dad, and getting very angry.

I crouched down, and made myself as small as possible. They turned towards me a fraction, but I didn't think I'd made a noise, how could they know I was here? Then they turned back and kept arguing.

"Charlie is my friend. I want to see him! You can't stop me from being his friend!"

"Billy, calm down. You don't want to do this here; it's too close to everyone. If you can settle down a bit you can go on a spirit quest and do this the right way."

I couldn't take my eyes off Billy. He seemed to be getting bigger before my eyes, and more and more furious. He spat at his father "Fuck that. I don't want to go on a spirit quest. Maybe that was your thing, but it's not mine. I want my friends and I want my own ways and I want to see Charlie!"

"You're dangerous to him, Billy. You're dangerous to everyone at the moment who isn't one of us. Can't you leave things for a week or two until you get yourself under control?"

One of us...one of us. Did he mean people who weren't Blacks, or weren't men, or weren't from the tribe? What did he mean?

A low growling sound started to come from somewhere. I peeked around from the side of the tree, looking for what it was coming from, in case it was a bear. It wasn't a bear, it was Billy, growling and snarling and looking at his father like he wanted to kill him.

And then, it happened. Or did it? I could hardly believe what I saw next, and I sure as hell couldn't tell anyone about it. Billy finally got so mad he couldn't restrain himself anymore and then... bang!

There was no Billy. In his place stood a very large, very shaggy wolf, snarling and drooling out of its massive jaws. Suddenly all of those stories that were told around campfires and the dinner table about bears made sense. I was terrified; would he know me, recognize me, or, if he smelled me was I dinner?

Why didn't I listen? I should have gone to Aunty Molly's. It was too late now, I was trapped. The only way I could survive was to stay very still. The creature that used to be Billy sniffed the air and then swiveled its head in my direction. Oh, please God, no. I didn't want to die, but it sure seemed as though I would, and soon.

Then something even more amazing happened. Billy's Dad morphed into a wolf as well. But he wasn't angry, not in the least, so how did he do that? And what was with this Black family? They were weirder than the Cullens and that was saying something.

He growled back at Billy, and paced the small clearing where they were standing, keeping him in his place at least. He sniffed the air too, and then placed himself between me and Billy, who was still going off, slavering and growling and pacing.

But Billy didn't calm down, didn't settle, didn't back off at all. Then his father howled, a bone-chilling sound that echoed through the forest and seemed to cast a spell over the Rez. Seconds later, Billy dropped to the ground as if he'd been felled, and sat on his haunches whimpering and covering his snout and ears with his paws.

This was getting weirder and weirder; how could that happen? It was like he'd been ordered to drop, but there was no-one around. He wasn't listening to his father so why the sudden change?

I got my answer a minute later. I was eleven, and thought I knew everything. The past few minutes had made me think that I'd seen everything too, and even that I might never see anything else again. But I had no words to describe what I saw next.

People said there were bears in the woods. Others said they'd seen wolves as big as horses. I wasn't allowed to go into the forest alone, and now I knew why. A rusty colored wolf bounded into the clearing, going hell for leather. And it made the two wolves already there look almost normal.

This wolf was gargantuan. Paws the size of dinner plates, a tail several feet long, and the head... intelligent eyes, but the head was the biggest one I'd seen on an animal. Say your prayers Charlie Swan, you're dead.

It stood in front of Billy's wolf and some strange kind of gaze seemed to draw him in, lifting his head off his paws and upward like he was mesmerized and couldn't look away. After a while Billy's wolf stood back up again, but more quietly this time.

Time passed; I didn't know if it was seconds or minutes. An eerie quiet descended on the place, which I didn't get; I'd have thought there'd be some noise between the three of them like howling, or chuffing or growling. How did they communicate? DID they communicate at all?

My dread, which had overwhelmed me before, was slowly leaving me, to be replaced by fascination. If I was going to die I would have by now, since I was sure they had smelled me already. But the thing that happened to finally put my fears to rest was as sudden as it was shocking to me.

The humongous wolf changed form; the air around it seeming to shimmer for a second before the place where it had stood was occupied by Mr. Black, Billy's granddad. And he was naked! Gross, I didn't need to see that, he was a big man after all. He reached behind him, grabbed a pair of Levis and put them on.

Then he laughed, a kind of hearty but reassuring laugh and crooked his finger at me. And embarrassed me to death when he said, "You can come out now Charlie."

So I did.

**EphPOV**

It was what I had feared would happen. A hokwát witnessing a Quileute bringing forth his spirit warrior for the first time, and Charlie Swan at that.

He had been here so much over the years that it was always going to be hard to keep him away when the time came. But we had to make the attempt for his own good. New wolves were volatile, prone to become angry and phase suddenly. I didn't want him to be hurt.

As it happened though, the whole thing had blown up in our faces. He'd seen the entire process of Billy's first phase, and all without having a clue what was going on. Once I'd arrived there I could smell the fear on him, and I knew the others were aware of his presence.

Billy had wanted to go to him, but in the confusion of those first few minutes he wasn't in his right mind and he would have hurt or killed Charlie in the process. Until he was stable he needed to keep his distance.

Bill couldn't settle him, so he'd done the only thing he could do and summon me. And now I had some explaining to do to young Charlie.

I called on him to come out from his hiding place, which he did, somewhat shamefacedly. He had been intruding and he knew it, but like any normal kid, the more you warned him away from something the more he wanted to know all about it.

And so there we were, Charlie and I the humans, and Bill and Billy in their wolf forms. Billy was too new to have worked out how to phase back as yet, so I nodded to his father and the two of them ran off into the forest. Hopefully they'd be back before too long.

Charlie was still nervous, and he hadn't ever been alone with me before. I'd have to be firm but gentle with him. I tried to look as friendly and unthreatening as possible, and inclined my head in the direction of the house.

" Would you like to join me, Charlie? I'm sure there are some questions you'd like to have answered."

"Umm... err... that's... I mean... sure, Mr. Black. I guess there are."

We set off together towards the house. After we'd arrived, and entered through the back door, I sat in Bill's chair and Charlie on the sofa. I was sure that the conversation was never going to begin if I left it up to Charlie, so I got the ball rolling.

"How long were you hiding behind that tree Charlie?"

Charlie looked down, his eyes fixed on a spot on the floor for what seemed like several minutes. Anything to avoid meeting my gaze. But he did eventually answer my question.

"I wasn't listening in the whole time Billy was there. When I got outside he was arguing with his father, and then he turned into a wolf and I knew that I couldn't try to leave."

"And where were you before that? I'm sure if you'd been to the house earlier you would have been told that Billy wasn't able to see you today."

He flushed, embarrassed at being caught out in his wrongdoing. "Yes I was at the house and when I was sent away, I went to the beach for a while. I saw Harry and he warned me off and well, dang it, that just made me want to find out what was going on."

Harry would have done better to have distracted Charlie, taken him to his own house perhaps. But then Harry wasn't long away from phasing himself; I'd seen the signs and he had about a week to go at the most. So he might not have trusted himself to be around Charlie.

I pinched my nose; such a useless gesture and it reminded me too much of someone else, but this whole situation was completely fubared and it would take some work to set things to rights.

I took a deep breath and launched into my explanation. "You've been to some of the bonfires, haven't you?" He nodded furiously, and so I continued, "Well the first thing that I need to tell you is that the stories we tell at those bonfires are true."

"True? Oh my God, I thought they were just legends."

If I hadn't had Charlie's attention before I certainly had it now. "Yes, they're true. Some of us are descended from Taha Aki, and those of us who are have the ability to summon our spirit warriors and transform into wolves. Once that happens, as long as we continue to phase, we never age. Now is there anything about what you've seen that you want to ask me about?"

"I've noticed things about Billy over the past few weeks; he got tall really quickly, and he was sore with me a lot. I tackled him in one of our football games and his skin was so hot. Does this have to do with becoming a wolf?"

Well it didn't have to do with becoming a vampire, I thought to myself. "Yes Charlie, you're quite right about that, it has a lot to do with it. Those are the classic signs of someone who is about to bring forth his wolf. You don't become a wolf, it is there already, waiting for the right time to show itself."

Charlie was thoughtful, like he wanted to say something, but was reluctant to in case it was the wrong thing.

"Spill it Charlie, I know there's something on your mind. I can't help you deal with this unless you do."

He swallowed, and inhaled sharply. "Well when I saw Harry he was a bit like Billy; taller, rude and when he grabbed me he was hot to the touch. Is he going to be a wolf as well?"

Was that all? "Yes he is and before the week is out I'm sure. And there are others who will as well. Quil, or Four as you call him and Joshua Uley, and some others from around the Rez. There are four families who already have wolves and those four families will have them this time as well."

"What do you mean by this time?" Charlie wondered aloud.

"We only need to bring our spirit warriors into being to fight our enemies Charlie. And we only have one enemy. I don't want to go into that because it's better for your own protection that you not know more about it. Let's just say we are the protectors of our people and leave it at that."

Charlie seemed miffed, but once he went back to school Josie Cullen and her female cohorts would pick his brain and see not only that he knew about wolves but also that he knew about vampires. I couldn't risk his life like that, so I kept some information from him. He knew enough to know that they weren't normal; that would have to do.

"So when Billy was all wolfed out -"

I roared with laughter, wolfed out, that was precious.

"He was still Billy, Charlie. You weren't his prey, not by any means, but he was so new in his wolf form that he might have hurt you without meaning to."

"So what happened to Billy then? One minute he was growling and looked angry; I really was afraid he was going to kill me. The next minute he was on the ground whimpering."

The door opened and then closed again with a loud bang. We both looked up, it was my son and grandson returned from their run in the forest.

"I was on the ground buddy because I was ORDERED to be there," Billy huffed.

Charlie blinked. "Ordered? But I was there and nobody said anything to you. If they had I would have heard it."

Billy went and sat next to Charlie. Charlie moved away fractionally and compacted himself, as if he was still a little apprehensive about being around his friend. Billy's face fell, but he hid his disappointment from Charlie as best he could.

"Charlie, buddy, I won't hurt you. Do you remember when my dad howled? That was so that Granddad Ephraim would hear him. He went into the forest, changed into his wolf, and then ordered me to drop and stay still."

I could see that Charlie was confused by that. He was wondering why Billy would obey an order of mine when he was so lost in the sensations of his new form. And he confirmed that with what he said next.

"But Billy, you were so angry and wild, frothing at the mouth. You didn't obey your father, why would you obey your grandfather?"

"Because my grandfather is the Alpha wolf of our pack. If he wants to, he can order any of us to do anything. He only has to use a certain tone of voice and we are forced to obey him," Billy replied.

The penny dropped. Charlie realized finally that he had me to thank for his deliverance as he saw it. "Thanks Mr. Black for coming when you did. I really was afraid. Although..." his voice trailed off and he went red again.

"You'd prefer it if you didn't have to see me naked again. Point taken, it doesn't usually happen like that but it was an emergency so I phased fully clothed. When that happens they get shredded, so we keep spares in different parts of the forest, in hollow logs and on branches and the like. We've tried carrying them with us but honestly, wearing them in a bag around our necks or tied to our legs makes it hard for us to run so we prefer not to."

Billy and Charlie both laughed at that, Charlie digging Billy in the ribs and saying that if seeing the Alpha naked was bad, he NEVER wanted to see Billy like that, it would be gross. Then Billy got all excited and jumped up and down in his seat.

"Charlie, I just thought of something. Can I ask you, what color wolf was I?"

He hadn't seen himself in the pack mind? Maybe he'd been too distracted to notice.

"Um, you were sort of like your Dad and Granddad only a bit lighter. And you had spots! You're a spotted wolf Billy."

Billy smiled, a dreamy smile, he seemed to disappear for a minute inside his head. When he came back into the moment he had a favor to ask of his father and me.

"When I was a little boy I dreamed of three wolves running through the forest. A russet one, a lighter one with russet tips, and a spotted one. That's us! Please Granddad, I want to run in the forest with you and Dad. When can we go?"

"We can go as soon as Charlie goes home. And if I'm not mistaken I hear the sound of his father's car outside. One more thing Charlie, you must not speak of any of this to anyone from outside the Rez, not even your own parents. Do you understand? I can't say this strongly enough to you young man, it is a tribal secret, nobody who is not Quileute must ever know about it."

Charlie nodded and then said " Yes sir, I understand. I will never speak of this to anyone; you have my word."

Shame I wouldn't be able to do the same, but with mind-readers all over Forks I would need to give Carlisle a heads-up about the new generation of wolves. He wouldn't appreciate hearing about it second hand.

Bill and Billy saw Charlie out of the house while I made my phone call. And then, once the three of us were alone, I turned to my boys, smiled and said, "Are you ready?"

They were ready. We sauntered outside and back into the forest, shed our clothes, released our spirit warriors and ran together in the forest throughout the night, the wind rushing past us and ruffling our fur, the bracken crackling under our paws as we ran. We were Blacks, and we were wolves, and we were proud of it.

**A/N: The story was AdVocated this morning on the site The Luv NV. **

**It's a great source of recs for non-canon stories both vampire and wolf, please go and check it out.**


	28. Chapter 28

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**1975**

**CPOV**

I put the phone down. Taking a call from Ephraim Black never boded well for our family, but at least this time the news was not unexpected.

Billy Black had become a wolf. How the time had flown. To me, as the longest-lived being in this area, a human lifetime was like the brief glory of a butterfly. It had already been almost forty years since Ephraim and I had signed the treaty, and to me that was no time at all.

I knew our presence here was the cause of the phasing of each generation and to be honest I didn't really care. I had neither Jasper's pessimism that it would all end in tears nor any great optimism that we'd all live in the peace and harmony that was such a cliché these days since the flower power sixties.

No, I was just cynical enough to believe that the wolves did protest too much. That although there were downsides to being a supernatural being, their pride in their tribe and capabilities didn't allow them to complain too much about nature's bounty.

But as expected as this development might be, I wanted to ensure that our own family situation didn't run off the rails because of it. As far as I was concerned, the transformations this generation had undergone and would undergo merely evened the numbers up again, and there was no need for Jasper or anyone else to go looking for more trouble.

And to be honest, I had enough to deal with. The children were teenagers now, just barely, and were going to be a handful. All teenagers were. But how to handle empaths and mind-readers with minds of their own was another thing entirely; and these children matured more quickly than human children did.

I decided to get the family together to thrash out where we'd go from here. I had some ideas, but I wanted to see what the others might come up with.

I found Esme, settled on the loveseat with her, and waited for the others to file into the living room. It was late afternoon, and I was expecting Jasper and Edward to arrive back from our little school very soon. Rosalie and Emmett were hunting, and Alice had been in her room leafing through mail order catalogues.

A quarter of an hour later Jasper and Edward arrived. To my surprise they had not only brought Josie with them, but also one of the empaths, Sean. They were followed in short order by the other three. Rosalie and Emmett looked a bit disheveled; even after all this time they still occasionally became feral and animalistic in their hunts, something we turned a blind eye to.

But Edward was wearing an expression of distaste and when I looked over at Josie so was she. Enough said. The children had grown up quickly; there was something about being able to see into people's minds or read their emotional states that had that effect. And obviously Emmett and Rosalie had been having _too much_ fun.

"If we're all here now I have a few things that I'd like to talk to you about. We have some new developments and I wanted to talk about what will be happening next with Josie and her friends. Welcome Sean, it's good to see you."

Suddenly I felt strangely happy; I knew that Jasper wouldn't be doing anything so it was probably leaking from Sean, but whether he just felt that way or was emanating it on purpose, I didn't know. Either way it wasn't helpful at the moment.

"Sean, I can tell that you're happy and as pleasing as that is, I'd like you to rein in your emotional state while you're here; we need to focus."

An expression of annoyance flashed across his features, so fleeting that I almost thought I hadn't seen it, but my vampire quickness and perfect recall let me know that I had. Was it embarrassment at being put in the spotlight, or the first hint of contrariness?

I got up, and began to walk around the room, pacing back and forth; I was too restless to stay seated. Josie seemed to be anxious to speak; she'd read my mind, no doubt, as I found it hard to shut her out. She knew that it was not her place to reveal the thoughts of others; we'd taught her that over the years. Had we not done so, it would have been impossible to take her anywhere.

"Well, I might as well spit this out; fine words won't make the medicine any sweeter. Billy Black has phased for the first time. So it's only a matter of time before his friends do the same and then we'll have three generations of wolves in the La Push wolf pack. Does anyone have anything they want to say about this situation?"

My eyes locked in silent combat with Jasper's. _Go on,_ I thought, _I dare you to say it. _ Say "_I told you so". _But he didn't, just smirked, put his hands behind his head and crossed his booted feet on the coffee table.

"Good to see you're comfortable with this Jasper; there was a time when the increasing wolf numbers seemed to bother you."

He met my challenge, glaring at me and sounding exasperated. "You're right, it did, but I took out insurance for us on that eventuality. What's the point now in getting upset about it? And I'm not going to bother trying to talk you into moving, that's a fucking waste of time."

Fair enough. "So you're not going to do anything in light of this development? I can rely on you to behave?"

"Of course you can; you've made your feelings clear and so has Alice. She wants to remain here and I want to be with her; you'll have no more trouble from me."

"Thank you; I'm pleased to hear it. So does anyone else have an opinion to offer? Now's the time to speak up if you do."

Josie put up her hand. Such a sweet girl, and no longer really a child at thirteen, although the pretty pink A-line miniskirt Alice had outfitted her in made her look about ten. I smiled at her; she wasn't my biological daughter but I loved her as much as a father ever could.

"Yes, Josie?"

"Please Papa Carlisle; I don't want us to leave here. I like it here, and nobody really notices or talks about us much. If we went somewhere new there'd be questions."

That there would. Forks was as close as we could ever get to living the life of the Denalis or the Volturi without either moving to a remote wilderness area or going underground. It was on a peninsula, cold and rainy and isolated. Of course, people came and went, but over time we'd worked out how to deal with that.

The thoughts of people who left Forks were of no matter to us, if they'd never been about vampires in the first place, or about us at all. We were the visible invisible, we just _were_, as ubiquitous as a loaf of bread and about as interesting. Some money spent here, some dazzling and disinformation there, and we were good.

I moved to reassure Josie, and by extension all of the children, since her thoughts would soon be passed on to all of them. "Don't worry sweetheart, we're not going anywhere. Ephraim Black has always behaved honorably towards us; more honorably than some of us have to him-"

"Oh for fuck's sake Carlisle, give it a rest!" Jasper dropped his feet back onto the floor with a thud and stood up, making his way over to a corner of the room where he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms defensively.

Alice jumped up and flitted over to Jasper; the voluminous floral maxi dress she was wearing swamping her frame, making her look even smaller if that was possible. She hugged him around the waist and he tried to brush her off; but she persisted and eventually he relented and drew her to him, one arm draped casually around her tiny body. He relaxed his stance a little; and bent down to kiss her on the top of her head, a lion of a man soothed for the time being by his lamb of a wife.

"-As I said," I continued, "He has behaved honorably and will continue to do so. If for no other reason than his own pride and self-image, he'll never break the treaty. We are safe here as long as we observe it also, and after so long in the community there is now nothing that could possibly happen to cause us to break it ourselves."

"Yeah, because nothing ever happens to disturb the best laid plans does it, Carlisle?"

Jasper might have collected himself, but he was always going to challenge what he saw as faulty thinking. I couldn't foresee any issues though; but before I could reply, Emmett piped up.

"Carlisle, do you remember what happened not long after I was changed and before we came to Forks; when I met my singer? Granted, I was a newborn, but I've heard that a singer is impossible for a vampire to resist. What if one of us was to find one here?"

I thought about it for a minute. "I know that you had that experience Emmett, but the reality is singers are very rare. The Volturi are thousands of years old in some cases and there are some who are yet to meet their singer. We're at less risk of having that happen by staying here than we are by leaving; given that the more people you meet the greater the chance of crossing paths with one."

He shrugged, and then laughed out loud. "Guess so. Let's hope that if one arrives, it's Eddie's. He can control himself, after all he controls every other impulse; if he met his singer he'd probably just pinch his nose and look constipated."

The room erupted. Everyone dissolved into fits of laughter; everyone that is except Edward, who was looking daggers at Emmett. "That was uncalled for Emmett, just because all you ever do is _hunt_ doesn't mean we all have to be the same."

I waited for the fuss to die down. "The other thing that I wanted to talk about was the further schooling of the children. They're all about twelve or thirteen now, we need to decide whether we're going to keep our little school going or send them to Forks High School."

"I know it's the seventies Carlisle, but I'm not sure that Forks is ready for an influx of gifted children who aren't like all the other kids," Rosalie offered.

"Granted, but at some point they're going to have to become part of society," I countered.

"How much of a part? It's not like we live in the middle of Forks. We don't go to school ourselves, and apart from the war years and a few fill-in stints here and there none of us teaches at the High School either," Rosalie continued.

"I don't wanna go to Forks High School; that would suck." Sean was defiant; he jutted out his chin and scowled.

"Okay Sean, is that your opinion or that of all of the kids?"

"Oh we all think that, don't we Josie?" Sean's tone was softer when speaking to Josie; I noted that for later.

"Yes we do Sean, I agree. Papa Carlisle, we're happy where we are, and with the teachers we have. We'd outpace the human teachers soon anyway if we haven't already. And we don't want the other kids to treat us like we're freaks. We want to all be together and that will never change."

To be fair to the kids, there was more than enough talent in the room to see to their needs as students; Edward had the sciences under control, Jasper history and the humanities more generally, and Rosalie the engineering and automotive courses. Even Alice could teach fashion and business; those correspondence courses they'd all done over the years were now paying dividends. Edward was still the only one who'd set foot in a college classroom, but that hardly mattered; vampires retained everything they learned.

It was decided; we'd school the children until graduation ourselves, and keep an eye on their teenage years whilst we were at it. I'd noticed the looks passing between Josie and Sean, and I'd heard rumors about some of the others. It wouldn't surprise me if they eschewed human interaction and stuck with each other for good. I needed to find out more about that, preferably from Jasper or Edward.

Edward read my thoughts and then jerked his head slightly in the direction of the door. I acknowledged the gesture and waited for him to leave; he went to the hallstand and picked up his car keys.

"Sean, I'll take you home now; Josie, do you want to come with me for the ride?"

"Yes Papa Edward, I'd like that." Josie knew who her real father was of course, as did all of the children. Those with human fathers loved them for that but they knew that biologically at least they were either Jasper or Edward's and that didn't worry them.

The three of them disappeared out of the front door, and soon the sound of Edward's new Volvo 240 could be heard as it started and then headed down the driveway on its way to Forks.

"All right, now that the children have gone, would anyone care to fill me in on what else has been happening with the them? Is there anything that we need to be concerned about?"

Rosalie and Alice were at the school often enough to have picked up on what the girls, at least, were up to; although Rosalie didn't have any special powers you didn't need those to see what was in front of your face. Alice could foresee the results of decisions, but kids were sometimes erratic and it could be difficult to get a reading on them.

"Rosalie? Alice? Jasper? Anyone?"

"If you're referring to the hormonal soup I have to wade through every day then yes, there are things happening at the school." Jasper groaned.

"The girls are crushing on the boys; it's normal for girls of that age and these boys are the only ones they'll ever know who are like them." Rosalie added. "But I'm sure it will pass, these things usually do".

"Are the feelings returned? I couldn't help but notice there was something going on between Sean and Josie."

"Josie's liked Sean for the longest time; she told me when we were shopping once," Alice chirped. "He's only just started to notice her though; she's over the moon about it."

"Are there other pairs as well? Are they all like that?"

"I'm fairly sure that Nicholas and Ellen might have something going on as well, but really Carlisle, it's kid stuff. I'm more concerned about the other things they've been getting up to," Jasper volunteered.

"Have they been breaking the rules?"

"Of course they're breaking the rules. You'd think a group of empaths and mind-readers being taught by an empath and a mind-reader might know they'll be caught, but that's teenagers for you. I found some the other day smoking behind one of the classrooms; I suppose since we're full vampires lighted matches aren't our favorite thing, but these few kids were puffing away like there was no tomorrow."

"And is that all?"

"For now; but it's only a matter of time before you add drinking to the list, at the moment they're a little bit young for that. And there's been a bit of vandalism, graffiti and carving stuff into the furniture, nothing to lose too much sleep over, but we'll need to try to make sure that they don't run wild in Forks. That would be a disaster."

"Is there anything we can do to bring them into line?"

Emmett answered me, which was unusual since he wasn't that involved with the children really. "I think they need an outlet for their energy. They have human hormones and emotions and vampire strength. Now would be a good time to get them onto some kind of gym program at school; I'd be happy to set something up. They can't keep up with me and be slackers at the same time."

"I agree. Did you have something in particular in mind?"

"Just a gym class the same as all schools have these days; but being part-vampire they'll be much stronger than the norm so we'll need to be clever about it. Baseball games during thunderstorms, basketball with reinforced courts and baskets; that kind of thing. I'd need some time to plan it but I'm sure it would be just the thing we need."

This could work. If we all stepped up to the plate and concerned ourselves more with the schooling and the supervision of the kids, we just might survive this period in their lives unscathed.

We began to discuss the changes that we were going to make with the schooling and the programs we would need. About half an hour later Edward returned; and picked the thoughts out of our heads, as he always did when he'd missed a conversation.

He reiterated what he'd heard. "So you're planning on us being more actively involved with the children; teaching them, keeping them busy and monitoring what they get up to."

"Yes that's right. We have a busy few years ahead of us and we need to focus on them all for a while, at least until their teenage years are over."

"Sounds good; now, if Jasper's boys would just agree to keep their hands off my girls and their filthy thoughts and hormonal stew in check we'll all be fine," he groused.

The trip into town must have been harder than I'd thought it would be. Perhaps Sean's thoughts weren't too pleasant.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "And if your girls would agree to stop picking the boys' thoughts out of their heads and getting all bent out of shape about them, we'd be even better. Every day I go there and I'm swamped in a cocktail of teenage angst and lust. I mean, for heaven's sake, show me a guy who doesn't have a dirty mind. On second thoughts; don't."

How ironic. Every teenage girl sometimes wondered what a certain boy she liked might be thinking about her; these girls _knew_. Clearly the knowledge wasn't all that welcome. It didn't really operate in reverse either; the boys could feel what the girls felt, but even if a girl was indifferent, our boys might try to change that.

The more I thought about this, the more I realized I was just scratching the surface with these children. Every day with them would bring to the fore new problems to be dealt with and all that we could really do was to take one day at a time; just take things as they came and not buy trouble before we needed to.

"Well I for one have had enough of this conversation; let's agree to all be mindful of the challenges we face and give our best efforts to meet them. Esme?"

Esme stood and walked over to me. I took her hand in mine and headed upstairs.


	29. Chapter 29

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**1979**

**BillyPOV**

We were older now; in our mid to late teens, a pack. Harry had phased a week after I did and Quil a month or two after that. The Uleys, of course, were never far behind; their innate anger and aggression made them prime candidates for early phasing.

Like the previous generation, before Daniel Clearwater and Douglas Uley had been lost in the fight with the Cold Ones, this generation of the pack numbered seven wolves.

Apart from Harry Quil and me, there were Joshua, Thomas and Lucas Uley, and Michael Clearwater. Michael was Harry's brother, and Joshua and Thomas also brothers. Lucas was their cousin. So far, nobody outside of the four wolf families had phased, and that was a good thing. There were enough of us as it was.

With so many wolves on the Rez, and the only Cold Ones on our radar those useless golden-eyed Cullens, we didn't have as much work to do with our patrolling as Granddad had with his pack back in the day.

I'd seen his memories about the takedowns of those other Cold Ones, especially James and the dreadlocked dude and they were AWESOME. I couldn't wait until I got the chance to do that; rend a Cold One and send him to the Hell that was waiting for those of his kind. But for now, I was going, with the new pack members, to do my fair share of the patrols.

Granddad, Great-Uncle Quil and Levi Uley had stepped back a bit from the day to day stuff. They all still phased, and Granddad was still the Alpha; nobody could even conceive of anyone else being the Alpha, but they didn't phase as often and they didn't patrol as much.

We had our pack mind, and our howls to get attention; so Granddad was never more than seconds away when we needed him. At first, it was weird sharing my thoughts with both my father and grandfather, but I'd gotten used to it.

Of course they kept certain thoughts shut off from me, especially Granddad; I didn't know for certain but I'd always believed that he thought about Grandma Martha a lot. We weren't allowed to mention her by name, but Dad had told me the stories about her, her great love for Granddad and his for her.

No, if anyone was going to have trouble shielding their thoughts it was going to be me. Four's cousin Sarah Wilde was a very pretty girl. I'd seen her on the Rez now and then when we were still only children and she hadn't made much of an impression; but then in those days, girls were lame.

I'd seen her again recently though, she was growing up and she was gorgeous. I'd been trying to get her attention, skylarking and showing off at the beach, but she just rolled her eyes at me. I'd have to think of something better, to try to win her over.

There was a prom coming up in Forks; since it was such a small town and the Rez even smaller, we sometimes joined forces and had just the one prom night. I decided to ask Sarah to go with me, the worst that she could say was 'no'.

Harry and I were about to go out on patrol, as well as Four's father, Quil III. We'd been doing this for a while now; and to be honest we were getting a bit bored with it all. So the two of us sat near the edge of the forest, taking advantage of the few spare minutes that we had to smoke a joint. Being wolves, we found that stuff we took always wore off quickly; but this one we had was stronger and might give us a better high.

Before long, I felt really giddy and stoned, everything was either very funny or made me feel jittery and worked up. I looked at Harry; he was puffing away and seemed to be a bit more used to it. When our shift was due to start, and before Quil could find us, we stubbed out our joints, ran into the forest and phased under cover of the trees.

Once we were in our wolf forms and Harry could see my thoughts about Sarah he made fun of me.

"_Gone sweet on Sarah Wilde have you Billy? Got you by the short and furries has she? Gotta admit she's not bad, maybe I should ask her out; I like her long legs and rack as much as the next guy."_

He made me mad, the joint made me so jazzed when I thought about Sarah, but so pissed at what he'd thought about her. So I thought back to him. _"No you don't Harry. For one thing she's gonna be mine and you can't have her; and for another I know you've got it bad for Sue Uley. Good luck with that one jerkwad, she's got a wolf brother and two wolf cousins."_

Harry made a lunge for me; but I dodged him, taking off into the forest. When he caught up to me I changed course and lunged, knocking him over and rolling him on his back. He tried to get up, but it wasn't all that easy, I was a bigger wolf than him. I was going to keep him pinned until he apologized; Sarah was a nice girl and although I knew he was jerking my chain, he shouldn't have spoken about her like that.

Instead, while I was thinking about her, he caught me off guard and knocked me to the ground on my back. Soon we were rolling and tumbling, snapping and snarling in a sort of half-serious way, and as high as kites, until we'd forgotten what we were there to do. We could hear Quil in our minds, trying to get us to behave but he couldn't order us to and we were too far gone.

He barked, and then a fourth voice appeared inside our heads; one which had the power to make us eat our own tails if he so chose. It was Granddad sure enough. I thought he only phased when it was his turn or in an emergency, I was counting on it; but I guess over the years he and his packs had an understanding of each other and maybe a bark meant something.

Damn, I was being careless. Harry nipped me, and at the same time the Alpha spoke to us inside our heads.

"_This is your Alpha. CEASE what you are doing, GET UP and continue to patrol. You are not to play during patrols. That is an ORDER. I will speak to you when your shift is over."_

No matter how many Alpha orders you'd received, and I'd had one in my first few minutes of being a wolf, they never lost their punch. The timbre of the Alpha's voice, the way your free will was taken from you and replaced by the need to obey the order you'd been given; it was something you never really got used to.

Our Alpha's voice disappeared from our heads again as quickly as it had appeared; chastened, we

stopped what we were doing, lolled our tongues out at each other, got up and started to run again through the forest, a bit dizzy but determined to make up for our bad behavior.

Later, when our patrol was over and we were back at the Rez, we went to Granddad's house. No point in trying to avoid it, we were in for it big-time.

We stood there, nervous, and glanced at each other before I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Grandma Amelia answered it, but it made no difference. As soon as the door was open Granddad was out of his chair and standing behind her; sniffing the air.

His eyebrows shot up into his hairline, and he became so angry I thought he was going to stick his arm out over Grandma's shoulder, get a hold of me and lift me off the floor. If she hadn't been there he would have.

Grandma looked at him, and at me, confused. "Darling, what's the matter? Billy and Harry are here to see us, why are you so furious with them?"

"Can't you smell it? I know you're not a wolf, Amelia and maybe you couldn't smell it from across the room like I did, but what about now? They're HIGH."

At that Grandma examined me a little bit more closely and then checked Harry as well. She sighed, and gave me that look that I dreaded from her; that "you've disappointed me, son" expression. I don't know what it was about her, but I felt her disapproval more than that of anyone else I knew, even Granddad.

Granddad. Who was even now having to forcibly restrain himself from throttling me. He visibly calmed himself, turned to Grandma and said, "Amelia, would you please make your way to Peter's house and inform him that his son is under the influence of marijuana. I need him to come here as soon as possible. Also phone Bill and ask him to do the same. I will deal with these two in the meantime."

Grandma turned to Granddad, touched him softly on the cheek and spoke soothingly to him. "It's going to be fine Ephraim. As reckless as the boys have been, there's been no harm done." Then she leaned in closer to him and whispered in his ear, but I was too wasted to hear most of it. There was just something about us being young, and something else about going out. I didn't want to go out, I wanted to eat, drink and lose the headache.

Granddad seemed to soften a bit; Grandma had always had the ability to bring out this other side of him. But I wasn't fooled; that would last only until she was out of sight. He wrapped her in one of his big bear hugs, kissed the top of her head and released her, holding the door open for her to walk through.

As she disappeared around the side of the house on her way to Harry's place he turned to us. "Right. When Peter and Bill get here we are going for a run. I can assure you that your next run through the forest Billy, won't be as much fun as your first one was. Until then you are going to tell me everything you know about this stuff you've been smoking; where you got it from, who gave it to you and whether any of the other kids are smoking it. I WILL NOT have the security of this tribe compromised by wolves out on patrol who are not sober and not doing their jobs. I am the Alpha, and for your failings as wolves you are responsible to me; for your failings as boys you are responsible to your parents, and two of them are on their way to deal with you."

We moved into the living room. Granddad sat back down on his easy chair, Harry and I went to turn the TV on and watch some cartoons, that is until we caught his eye and thought better of it. We sat down on the floor cross-legged; still coming down from our highs but sobering up fast enough to know that we were toast.

And we began to speak, talking in fits and starts about what we knew and how long we'd known it; how big the problem was and how hard it might be to fix. Granddad listened intently to everything we said, but he never smiled or showed any approval of our efforts to help him now. He was still livid with us, and only the fact that our Dads would soon be here prevented him I think from giving us a belting. I loved him and so did Harry, he was his grandfather too; but right now he scared us to death.

About twenty minutes later Dad and Uncle Peter came in through the door; their faces like thunder. Uh oh. I peeked at Harry and him at me; then we both looked down at the floor. The patterns in the linoleum were **fascinating**, but then anything was better than meeting the gaze of our fathers. They were having none of it though.

"Billy! Look at me!" barked my father. Uncle Peter yelled at Harry too. Our heads snapped up and for me at least it was like looking at my Granddad half an hour ago. I couldn't even say that he looked like Granddad must have twenty-odd years ago, because Granddad looked the same as he did twenty years ago. No, it was like looking at the next Alpha, and I was packing it.

"You're grounded for a month. No TV, no friends over, and no going out. And that's final." At first I thought I'd gotten off lightly, but then I remembered the prom; the dance I'd wanted to ask Sarah to and it was less than a month away. I knew that Dad wouldn't change his mind, but I begged him to anyway; and for my trouble all I got was a stony stare.

Some other guy would ask her to the prom; some guy who didn't deserve her.

And then, the five of us headed out into the woods; and Granddad, Dad and Uncle Peter ran us off our feet all night, until we were completely straight, exhausted and sore all over. It would be a cold day in hell before I smoked pot again.

**PROM NIGHT**

**BillyPOV (Cont)**

I was so angry and disappointed; I was still grounded, still unable to be with Sarah, and she'd chosen to go to the prom with Joshua Uley. Of all the guys she could have chosen, she had to pick that jackass.

He knew I was upset about it, chalk it up to the pack mind; and no sooner had the news of my grounding gone around the pack then he was over to her house to ask her out. I wasn't surprised at that; what I was surprised about was that she'd said yes to him.

I thought she liked me; but girls were a mystery. Maybe she was trying to make me jealous? If that was it she'd succeeded beyond her wildest dreams, because I wanted to put the asshole on his back for moving in on my girl. Or the girl who would be my girl one day, dammit.

I knew Josh didn't care about her, he just made it his business to score with as many girls as he could. Sarah's father wasn't a wolf so that was a bonus for him; he knew that pulling anything stupid with a Black or a Clearwater was a one way ticket to Hell on Earth.

Well, he wasn't gonna score with Sarah; I'd see to that. I was going to slip out of the house and go to the prom, and we'd see about who her guy would be.

I said goodnight to Mom and Dad, and took myself off to bed. Once I heard them retire to their room and then Dad start to snore, I slipped out of my pajamas and grabbed some jeans, shoes and a sweater, putting them in a bag with a long shoulder strap.

Quietly, carefully, I opened my bedroom window and slipped out, closing it behind me. I looked around to make sure that nobody could see me and then I made my way into the forest, hanging the bag from a low hanging tree branch. Then I phased, slipping the bag over my head and taking off at full speed in the direction of Forks.

The wolves on duty were all older, since the others except for Harry and I had gone to the prom. Harry was lucky, Sue Uley went with his brother Michael, and so he knew that he'd take care of her for him and keep the other guys away. I could see Old Quil and Young Quil in my mind and when they asked me why I was phased I just told them I'd heard a noise and not to worry.

It was tough to keep my real thoughts a secret, but I had to, or the game was up. So I concentrated on the sights and sounds around me of the forest at night, and not my destination. Soon the two Quils resumed their patrolling, and after that I went on my way, trying not to think about Sarah, and Josh, and what I was going to do to him when I found him.

I'd forgotten that the vampire girls were going to be at the prom, and that they could read my thoughts too. There they were, with their vampire boy dates, like some gang of inhuman, perfect catwalk models. I'd reached the edge of the woods and phased back, changing into my clothes, but before I'd made it across the car park one of the girls, Josie I thought it was, turned around from where she was making out with her boyfriend and started laughing.

Like I needed that. I brushed past them, and went to the door of the auditorium, looking for Sarah and Josh. Eventually I spotted them; Sarah looking beautiful in a peachy colored dress and flowers in her hair. They were close dancing to a slow song, and my frustration boiled over. I pushed past the dancers on the floor until I got to Josh, grabbing him by the collar and throwing him up against the wall.

"You had to do it, didn't ya? Had to try to move in on Sarah. You know I like her, you know I would've asked her to the prom if I wasn't grounded, but you just had to add her to the list. Well, fuck you, Josh. You're not getting your grubby hands on Sarah and you're not going to push me around. Where we come from the Uleys don't get to do that to the Blacks and you well know it."

Charlie raced over to us, pleading with me to drop him. But I had a firm grip on Josh, he was red and gulping like a fish out of water, and I had no intention of letting him off. I was just about done with him when I felt my own feet leave the floor, my head whipping around to come face to face with one of the Cullen half-breeds.

"You dirty, Indian gatecrasher. What the fuck do you think you're doing here? You're not welcome here; you've got no ticket, no date and no tux. And you're scum! Why they let the Rez kids come to this party is beyond me."

He dropped me to the floor, shoving me and kicking me in the shins then walking away with his date. I went to jump up and run after him, but before I could get to my feet I felt rather than saw, Josh run past me, chasing the vampire into the forest nearby.

I set off after him, and so did some of the vampires, but by the time I caught up to them Josh had phased, his suit shredded and lying in pieces on the ground around us. And like the visions of Jasper Whitlock that I'd seen in his Grandfather's mind, he had the kid pinned on the ground and, teeth bared, was snarling at him.

I phased too. This could get ugly. Twelve of them and two of us; I'd have to try to calm things down, which was ironic since I'd started this. But I had to try to fix it; even though my mind was a jumbled mess and I had no idea where to start.

I knew the girls could hear me, even from some distance away. I thought to them, _"Please, don't attack us. Remember the treaty; we don't want a war and you don't want to have to leave here. I'll settle Josh down and get him off your friend, and if I can't, I'll get help. You should get help too."_

They couldn't think back to me, they weren't Pack, but I saw them go running back towards the auditorium to get someone. I hoped, rather than expected, that it might be Dr. Cullen; I didn't want to think what might happen if it was Jasper Whitlock.

I needed to do more, and there was only one thing I could do.

This would cost me dearly. I tilted my head up and howled. Howled like I had never howled before.

There were other wolves phased, but I was frightened and confused; I didn't know many there were, or how far away they might be, and I needed to sound the alarm.

To my surprise, several voices popped into my head, and they weren't in La Push or near it. That was curious. The Alpha was one of them. I thought to them _"How did you hear me?"_

The reply I got was humiliating. _"We didn't need to hear you. Neither Quil believed for one moment that you'd heard something in the forest, they'd patrolled there, and you know if there is anything important you must rouse me. Young Quil followed you and Old Quil went to alert the Rez. We have been running and trying to catch up to you ever since. You have put us in grave danger. The treaty may yet be broken tonight. DO NOT attempt to intervene, you are outnumbered. We will soon be there and we WILL fix this, but you have disgraced the name of Black and the tribe and I WILL deal with you later."_

I heard the crackle of the undergrowth as several sets of paws galloped through the forest, racing towards us. Glancing up, I saw a flash of russet; russet fur, russet points, Granddad and Dad were coming for me. I was both relieved and scared shitless. They'd save me, but they'd have my hide afterwards.

Just before they arrived, my senses were assaulted by the most awful and sickly, candy cane, bleach smell. I knew it had to be from full vampires; the half-breeds smelt bad but not as strongly as the others. I turned my head in the direction of it, and there were Dr. Cullen, Edward Cullen and Jasper Whitlock. Oh, no. The others must have stayed at the prom to keep it going, but these three were more than enough for me.

Granddad broke out of the treeline, raced towards the gathering and stopped, standing regally (I thought), his pack behind him, growling and snarling at the Cullens. I'd never seen him this angry, and with his spirit warrior in charge he was a terrifying sight. I thought he'd take someone's head off but then, before anything could happen, a feeling of calm blanketed us.

Jasper was influencing our emotions and I didn't know if that would make our Alpha even angrier. Eventually he stopped growling and made eye contact with Edward. A message passed between them, and then Joshua was ordered away from his victim, who got up and walked unsteadily, but quietly towards the Doctor. He was quickly checked over and found to be unharmed.

Charlie had made his way out here too, he must have slipped out unnoticed. I could see him standing there, taking it all in; the size and number of the wolf pack that had come to rescue us, the speed and eerie appearance of the Cold Ones which was more obvious when they were all together. His eyes widened in shock; and I cringed.

He was my friend, the knowledge that the Cullens were as inhuman as we were, was something I'd hoped to keep from him. It could cost him his life; somehow I just knew that the old standby of dazzling and lying that was enough for the rest of Forks wouldn't cut it with Charlie. And that he wouldn't want it to; he was just a guy who was razor-sharp and wanted to know **everything**.

I wanted to phase back and talk to him but I couldn't; in my haste to phase I'd shredded my clothes too. And I wouldn't give the vamps the satisfaction of seeing me naked and laughing at me. It didn't matter, between the mind readers and the empaths, I was an open book to them and they laughed at me anyway. I sat on my haunches, put my head down on the ground and covered my snout with my paws; as humiliated as I had ever been.

The meeting concluded; and we went our separate ways. It had been a close run thing and had the Alpha not been so close, Josh and I might not have walked away from this. I was grateful to the Cullens for their forbearance, and to the Pack for our deliverance.

I feared though what fate lay in wait for me back in La Push.

The Alpha called Joshua and I in to face him for our judgment. "Joshua, you have attacked a Cold One, placing the treaty in jeopardy. However you did it to avenge an insult to Billy and the tribe. You are suspended from the pack and from phasing for one month."

Maybe I might be lucky after all; the only person I'd attacked was Josh himself. So I was heartbroken with what the Alpha said next.

"Billy, you have broken your curfew, lied to members of the Pack, traveled to a party with the intent to disrupt it, and assaulted a fellow Pack member. In doing so you began the chain of events which almost cost us the treaty and could have cost lives as well. You are suspended from the Pack for six months, and forbidden from phasing at all for one month. I will allow you to phase again after that so that you will not lose your spirit warrior. Go home now, and think about what you have done, to your tribe and to the name of Black."

I went home and to my room, lay down on my bed and sobbed softly into my pillow. Sarah was as far away from me as she had ever been, and now I'd lost my place in the Pack. It seemed so unfair, after all Josh had behaved badly too; but he wasn't a Black. I was, and I'd shamed the family name.


	30. Chapter 30

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Mrstrentreznor and feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading this story.

**A/N: Native American wedding traditions as mentioned in this chapter have been sourced from an article on the subject in **

**1984**

**CarlislePOV**

Standing in front of my dressing-room mirror, adjusting my bow tie, I mused about the changes we'd survived as a family in the past few years.

Creating the hybrids was quite possibly the second worst decision Jasper had ever made. The worst one was stopping to help three seemingly helpless women outside of Galveston. Like almost all of us, he'd had the misfortune to be somewhere at a place and time doing something that would bring him to the attention of a vampire.

We were creatures of circumstance, but Josie and her peers were manufactured. In one sense they were like us, and in another not at all. And as they didn't fit in, either with us as full vampires, or with their biological families as humans, they depended on each other.

They'd become clannish and introverted, tolerating the rest of us, but trusting nobody but themselves. And that behavior, rather than becoming less of an issue over time, was more pronounced now than it had ever been.

We'd all tried to integrate them with our family and with the more general population of Forks; but it was no use. So eventually, and with the consent of their parents, once the children had turned eighteen we'd housed them in some new cottages which we'd built on our estate outside the town.

None of them showed the slightest inclination to leave Forks; if they couldn't trust people they'd grown up with it seemed, they weren't going to trust people in the wider world. People whom they'd never met and some of whom might wish them ill.

We were acutely aware that since they were only half-vampire, they were vulnerable; either to other full vampires, or to the Volturi. I hadn't slept in hundreds of years, but if I still had the ability to do so my nights would have been plagues and my sleep disturbed by thoughts of what might happen if Aro ever caught sight of the children.

And then all of a sudden they were adults. I thought the first inklings of what was to come were seen at the Prom. Of course before that there were crushes and teenage stuff, but nothing that seemed too permanent.

At the Prom, when decisions needed to be made about who was going with whom, there was an unspoken agreement that none of them would date outsiders. Josie went with Sean, Nicholas with Ellen, Norman with Donna and so on, until they were all spoken for.

As a device to deal with a rite of passage like a prom it made sense; they could shut themselves off from the notice of the other guests and remain above the fray. What I wasn't expecting though was for some of them to fall in love on the dance floor.

In the few hours before Billy Black had arrived and turned everything upside down, I could see that things were changing. I said nothing; what was the point in speaking about it to anyone? And afterwards it was all forgotten in the aftermath of a near war.

But nothing was the same after that night, and now here I was, suiting up and getting ready to give Josie away in marriage.

She had carried a torch for Sean for years, and once he'd begun to notice her that was it. Neither of them paid the slightest bit of attention to anyone else ever again.

As the first to marry, Josie had decided to splash out and include all of her mind-reading friends in the wedding party. Sean did the same with his empath mates.

I smiled wryly; this was going to be interesting. Making your vows when your future wife knew what you were thinking at the time and your future husband knew whether this was what you wanted was something very different to the norm. It would be intolerable to me but they were used to it; and their relationship had a kind of honesty about it as a result that was refreshing.

I'd drifted off, and was brought back into the present by my own bride, Esme.

"Carlisle? What are you doing up there, sewing the suit? We'll be late if you don't hurry up."

"I'm on my way; sorry. I was miles away."

"Lost in your thoughts? You're forgiven, after all you have three hundred odd years worth of them to pick from."

"Thanks for reminding me how old I am my love, and here's me trying to impress you."

"Oh Carlisle, you're the handsomest man in any room you enter and you know it. How big's that head after being a lady-killer for centuries?"

I sauntered out onto the landing and then leapt down onto the living room floor, wrapping Esme up in my arms from behind and swinging her around.

"Actually, since you asked, I was thinking about the children and the changes they've undergone in the past few years. I should think of another name for them, they're not children now."

"No, they're not, but I guess they'll always be children to us. I'm sure we'll think of something; we could try using their real names I guess."

That we could. I looked around me; everyone was there waiting to get this show on the road, except for Jasper, who had gone to help Sean with his preparation. If Sean was going to be nervous, or any of his attendants for that matter, the last thing they needed was for the emotion to affect the whole group.

I looked around me. Josie was beautiful in her long-sleeved, high-collared, lace over satin dress, long train and veil. You could almost forget that she was part vampire and just see her for the lovely girl that she was.

Alice had been busy for months, perusing catalogues, ordering the dress and all of the accessories, and planning the wedding. Josie had participated, but as was usual for Alice, it was rare that she got her own way on things. She just went with the flow, knowing that Aunty Alice as she called her had only been able to have a very low-key wedding to Jasper herself and was relishing the opportunity to lash out and plan a big party.

Edward had wanted to give Josie away himself, but I vetoed that. His claim was biological, not familial, and if he carried it through with the others we'd have him giving away half a dozen Forks brides. Like we needed the attention.

I was Josie's father in the eyes of the outside world, and the other girls all had fathers who, if not the providers of their genetic material, had loved them and raised them as their own. Compared to that, Edward's rights were of no consequence.

I made my way to Josie's side. "How are you feeling sweetheart? Are you ready for this? Today you're going to become Mrs Sean Mundy. I'm so proud of you and everything you've done with your life so far; now is the time to start the next chapter of it as Sean's wife. And maybe, someday, as a mother too."

"I'm fine Papa Carlisle. I know this is what I want, it's what I've wanted ever since I was twelve." Josie put her arm around mine, linking them on the way out to the cars. We'd hired some white Mercedes limousines for the wedding party; our cars were impressive but didn't match.

I helped Josie into the car, and then moved out of the way as Alice and Esme arranged her veil and dress so that it wouldn't be crushed. Then I walked around to the other side of the vehicle and got in.

We weren't using chauffeurs; that would be awkward, so Emmett was driving us and Edward the car with the bridesmaids in it. Esme and Alice were driven by Rosalie in her new Ferrari, and went on ahead of us to the church.

Having a church ceremony was our one concession to the human world. Sean's parents were religious and would not have understood that for us to be in a church felt unnatural. Especially for me, the idea of setting foot in the house of the Lord felt wrong.

I had always been a believer, ever since the days I'd spent helping my father in his ministry. But once I was bitten I was eternally damned; I knew that heaven was closed to me but that was a hard topic to raise with your future in-laws.

So I left it alone, and prayed to God at the start of the day that I might be forgiven for what I was about to do.

I turned to Josie, gave her a kiss on the cheek and then said to Emmett "Time to go. Edward will read this in my mind, and begin to move off. When he does, follow him. If we drive at the speed limit we'll be a fashionable ten minutes late."

The lead car moved off, and then we followed suit. Edward drove very slowly and carefully by his standards, but then he was transporting to the church all but one of his "daughters". After a short drive to St Swithin's Episcopal Church, we pulled up out the front, ready to deliver Josie to her future husband.

There was nobody waiting outside the Church, as we'd allowed enough time for everyone to get settled. The bridesmaids alighted from Edward's car one by one and stood around, checking their hair makeup and dresses, and waiting for Josie.

I emerged from our limousine and went around to the other door, opening it for the bride and taking her by the hand. She turned in her seat and then stood, bending at the waist until she was clear of the car and could stand straight.

The women all buzzed around her, smoothing out this and straightening that, touching up her makeup and fixing her hair. I felt a bit like all Dads must feel at this moment; useless and more than a little bit sad at what I was losing.

Raising Josie had been, for the most part, a joy, and had given me an opportunity that real life hadn't afforded me. As proud as I was of her, to hand her over to the man who would come first in her life from now on wasn't easy.

We made our way to the front doors of the Church. The bridesmaids, all four of them plus Ellen as maid of honor, arrayed themselves in a line in front of Josie in the foyer. We stood just inside the door, and waited as the signal was given for the organist to play the wedding march.

But before we could get started, I looked ahead over the pews and to the men waiting for us to arrive. And although I wasn't an empath I could tell that the whole congregation was gripped by some strange emotion. There were low murmurings, and several people seemed to be agitated.

"Stay here everyone; I'm going to talk to Jasper." I looked each of the girls in the eye and willed them to be calm.

"Edward? Are you picking up anything?" Might as well try to get a heads up.

"It's hard to tell, the thoughts of our guests are jumbled and incoherent; but if I was going to hazard a guess I'd say that Sean or someone has gotten REALLY nervous and it's spilled out over the whole congregation."

Great, just great. "Okay Edward, you and Emmett stay with the girls and try to settle them down the old-fashioned way. I'm going now."

I found the man I was looking for leaning up against a wall, as was his wont. "Jasper, what has happened here? We can't have a wedding if the whole church is full of jumpy guests."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah I know. I've been trying to get it under control but there are so many people here and Sean was leaking nervousness big time. Then his groomsmen started to do the same. I can fix it; but I have to warn you, it might take some pretty heavy stuff, almost like a sedative."

I thought about it. Better a sedated crowd than a panicky one. "Go ahead Jasper, do what you need to. But don't put them to sleep, just calm them and give them some happy warm emotions too."

I headed back towards the rear of the church, walking around the outside of the pews. As I reached the halfway mark I started to feel strangely content, warm and full of affection for my fellow man. _"Thank you Jasper"_ I thought to myself.

I returned to my daughter and then the music started, and one by one the girls stepped daintily down the aisle smiling to the congregation and to the groomsmen lined up beside Sean. Nicholas and Ellen were already engaged, and would be married in a few months, so the smile from Josie's maid of honor to her fiancé was especially blinding.

Then it was our turn. Josie was trembling slightly, even I could tell that she was still a little bit nervous, but she was determined to make it to the other end of the aisle where the man she loved was waiting for her.

She rested her head on my shoulder, trying to steady herself, and then, step by slow step, advanced down the aisle to meet her future. Sean was determined not to look behind him until she reached his side, but he gave into his curiosity and turned around when she was halfway there.

A tear appeared at the corner of his eye, and he choked back the emotion of this day of all days in his life, whispering to her at vampire speed "You're so beautiful..."

I smiled at him; I'd felt just the same when I married Esme more than sixty years ago. It was one way for us both to know that this was meant to be; I knew he truly loved Josie and I drew comfort from that.

We reached our destination and I handed Josie over to Sean for the ceremony; standing back for the part I had still to play when asked who gave her in marriage.

After I'd done that, I sat back next to Esme in the front row and watched as my daughter said her vows to her soon-to-be new husband.

I smiled inwardly, and allowed myself a moment of hope when the minister mentioned children; as they were half vampires we had no way of knowing if they even could. It was important to them though that they have the belief that it was possible.

And if they did it would be an interesting combination; the children would again be half human, but the vampire half would be a mixture of empath and mind-reader. Who knew how that would turn out?

I looked up again, only to find that it was all over; Sean and Josie were husband and wife. The music started up again, and they turned and swept from the church, a young couple in love and preparing to conquer the world, or their world at least.

**BillyPOV**

Today was the day of my wedding to Sarah Wilde. I'd heard about the Cullen wedding last week, and now it was my turn.

Winning Sarah over in the end had been easier than I thought it would be; mainly because my stupid actions on the night of the Prom had actually impressed her.

Josh had been behaving badly towards her, his hands wandering to places where she didn't want them to go, his attentions towards her designed to get her into his bed at the end of the night. She'd been a score for him and a means for him of revenge on me. When, in my clumsy way I intervened to separate them, Sarah had seen it as a timely intervention.

After that she'd finally given in to my pleas for her to date me, and we'd been together ever since.

Our wedding wouldn't have the scale and the trimmings that the Cullens had been able to afford, but it would be no less heartfelt for that. We may not have the money that they did, but we had everything else a couple needed; love, commitment and the support of our families.

The Quileute ceremony, such as my father and grandfather had been married with was a deeply meaningful and spiritual ceremony.

Sometimes these ceremonies were held out of doors, but the weather today was not conducive to that. We were going to be married in the tribal meeting room, but other than that we would observe tradition.

There would be a blanket we would both stand on, with food laid on it. Sarah would be wearing a tribal costume and a veil decorated with shells for fertility, coins for wealth, thimbles to be a good provider and bells to take care of her parents. I would also be in tribal costume.

We would say our vows, and then there would be a feast with the food from our blanket. Afterwards, we'd be wrapped in it together to signify our unity in marriage.

Although this was a tribal and deeply traditional ceremony, I'd managed to persuade my father and grandfather to allow Charlie to attend. To me, it was unthinkable that he would not be present for the most important day of my life. And after the experiences he'd had over the years, here on the Rez and at the Prom, there really wasn't that much more for him to learn about us anyway, hokwát or not.

We were going to have a bonfire afterward if the weather held off, and then leave for our honeymoon. We weren't going to a private island like the Cold Ones were rumored to have done, but we'd have a little cabin hidden away from the world and that was enough for me. I just wanted to be alone with my wife.

"Billy? Are you ready?"

My mother called out to me; she and my father Bill were about to leave.

"Yes I'm ready Mom; send Harry and Four in to see me and we'll get going. I've never been more ready for anything in my life."

I emerged from my bedroom, the last time I'd do so. A cottage on the Rez had been found for Sarah and me; it was small and very basic, but it would do for us. And it meant that we didn't need to come and live here. I wanted to begin my married life as the master of my own home.

Harry slapped me on the back. "Ready to roll Mr. Black?"

I grinned. "As ready as I'll ever be, Mr. Clearwater. And I'll do the same for you when you give up your bachelor status next month."

"You can forget about performing that service for me just yet." Four was still happy to be single.

"Yeah Quil, but you'll find someone someday; after all if you don't there won't be a Quil V will there?"

"Maybe if I have a son he'll be named something else Billy, this Quil thing is becoming a bit stupid what with us all alive at the same time."

"No he won't; there's no way Old Quil and Young Quil will go for that. Anyway, we have somewhere to be so let's go."

Harry opened the door for me, and we all left, closing it behind us. Half an hour later I was standing on a blanket covered with food next to the most beautiful girl in the world, pledging to love her and keep her until we were parted by death.

And since I was a wolf, that day was a long way off.

**A/N: This chapter is shorter than usual, however I also wrote a one-shot this week for the Tricky Raven "Haunting in Forks" Contest, named "Christine". It's a fun contest, so I'd encourage you to check it and the other entries out!**


	31. Chapter 31

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**1986**

**BillyPOV**

There was a population explosion on the Rez. My pack colleague and former rival Joshua Uley had become a father to Sam. Harry and Sue Clearwater had a little baby girl Leah. And now my darling wife Sarah was expecting twins.

Twins were a common occurrence in the Black family; I had twin sisters Connie and Jennie, and my father Bill's twin sisters Mary and Jane had died at birth. So that Sarah was expecting twins came as no surprise and if I had to guess I'd say that they'd be girls as well.

Sarah was fussed over from the moment she announced her pregnancy; the experience that Granddad Ephraim had in losing his wife and children was one the Blacks had never wanted to repeat and so we did all of the right things this time.

Once the pregnancy was confirmed we called in Dr. Cullen. Carlisle was no friend to me or mine. In fact I hated him and his family of freaks, but Sarah's welfare was more important to me than my own pride.

To this day Granddad never spoke about that time to us, but Grandma Amelia, although now in her seventies, still had clear memories of what that time was like on the Rez. Of course he had confided in her after they were married.

She advised us to forget personal differences and just concentrate on the birth and the joy that it would bring. So we did that, and we did everything possible to make sure that Sarah had everything she needed to give birth safely.

Sarah was sewing and resting on an easy chair, her feet on a footstool so that her swollen ankles could be elevated. I went over to her to see if she needed anything.

"Sarah, sweetheart, can I get you a drink of water or something else?"

She looked up from her sewing, and smiled at me. "No Billy, I think I might be okay for now, but perhaps later I may have something."

"In that case I might go and pay Harry a visit. I haven't been to see him and Sue since Leah was born last week."

"Yes, go my dear and take the clothes I've made for the baby. And give my best wishes to them both; I'd like to go in person but I don't think I've long to go myself."

I looked her over carefully, using my wolf senses to try to discern if she was keeping anything from me, but there was no sign she was in labor yet.

"Sarah" I said firmly "If anything happens, anything at all, you call me at Harry's. Is that understood?"

She nodded and smiled, waving me away. "Of course I will. I know how important it is to you that nothing goes wrong and I want the same thing."

I grabbed my raincoat and headed out the door. It wasn't that bad weather bothered me at all, but I knew Sarah didn't like me getting my clothes wet, and even now she sometimes forgot that I was a wolf.

As I walked towards the Clearwater house, I watched the sea. It was dark and threatening; grey and choppy with whitecaps and a big swell. Not even the wolf pack would be going into the surf today, but as wild as it was, I somehow found it soothing to watch the waves crashing onto the shore.

I found a stick, picked it up and hurled it into the air. It flew a long distance but before I could walk over to it and pick it up again, a stray dog with a wiry brown and white coat found it and brought it back to me. I threw it again, and he fetched it again, and I passed the time this way until I'd reached Harry's house.

As I went to the door the dog, seeing that the game was over, yipped and then trotted off to find somebody else to play with. I knocked on the door, it opened and I went inside.

Harry closed the door behind him. "So Mr. Black, have you any news to report or are you here for a social visit?"

"Social, Harry" I laughed "Unlike you, I'm not a father yet. I've brought some things for baby Leah, so I'll give those to Sue and then maybe we can have a beer."

"She's in the spare bedroom at the moment. I'll organize the drinks and leave you to pay your respects. This will be you before too long."

I went in search of Sue and Leah. Sue had not long finished feeding her, and was holding her in her arms and rocking her gently. I took my gift over to her and passed on Sarah's good wishes.

Sue stood. "Would you like to hold the baby, Billy? Don't worry, she won't break. You need the practice."

That I did. Before too long I'd have one in each arm. I took Leah from her mother's arms gingerly, and held her in the crook of my elbow, my other arm holding her in place. Then I rocked them back and forth gently for a while and, embarrassingly, started cooing and talking baby talk.

It just seemed to come naturally, but I felt like I should hand in my man card. Sue just lifted an eyebrow and laughed, so I guess Harry had done the same thing. Leah was a beautiful baby, with glossy black hair and copper colored skin, her brown eyes seeming to hold depths that bespoke an old soul.

When she grew up I was sure she'd be a woman to be reckoned with. It was a shame that she wouldn't be a wolf but of course no girl ever had been. I cuddled her again and then handed her back to her mother.

"She's a lovely baby Sue. You and Harry must be very proud. Hopefully Sarah and I can give her some playmates before too long. She looks like she will be full of mischief one day. I'll leave you be now and go and find Harry; we can catch up, if you can spare him that is."

Sue snorted. "I think I have this under control. Go and amuse yourselves and I'll see you next time."

Harry was sitting outside in a chair, looking at the sunset over the ocean and sipping on his beer. I pulled up another chair and sat next to him. He leaned down, picked up a beer and handed it to me.

"You have a beautiful daughter Harry; but I suppose you know that already."

"Yes, she is gorgeous, takes after her mother of course. And such a good baby, we should be able to have her sleep through the night in the next few weeks; she's so placid and sleeps quite a bit already in between feeds."

Who was this man and what had happened to Harry Clearwater? A tiny girl owned him; it was clear that she had him wrapped around her finger. I didn't laugh at him though; that might be me soon.

Harry turned towards me, a frown crossing his features. "I've heard that you're going to use Carlisle Cullen to deliver your babies. A Rez midwife isn't good enough for you?"

"You know perfectly well Harry that the best nurse on the Rez is Sue, and she's not available. And since Sarah's having twins, I won't risk her life by having her deliver without a doctor. It goes without saying that the best doctor in Forks is Carlisle; as bitter as the taste of that is on my tongue, it's the truth. The Alpha has given his permission, Carlisle has agreed, all that is left is to make the call."

"Well that's as may be, but I wouldn't have him here. I admire your forbearance."

"It's part of being a Black. Nobody who has the blood of Ephraim in him can ever forget the greater duty we owe to the tribe and to the treaty, and to life itself. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. Anyway here's to Leah Clearwater. May she live long and prosper, and steer clear of Josh's son."

We laughed, clinked our beer cans together, and then sat in silence for a few minutes drinking the brew. Then the stillness was interrupted by the shrill ringing of Harry's phone.

"Billy?" Sue called out. "It's for you. It's Sarah; her pains have started."

I shot out of my chair and dashed into the house, grabbing the phone from Sue and stammering, tripping over my tongue as I tried to get the words out.

"Sarah? A-are you alright?"

She assured me she was, her voice calm and soothing, settling my nerves back down. She asked me to come home and to call the doctor; the Black babies were on their way.

I called Carlisle Cullen from the Clearwater's house, and he told me he'd be at the treaty line in twenty minutes. Since his presence was a technical breach of the treaty, I advised Granddad in his role of Alpha, and received his permission for the Cold One to enter the Rez accompanied by one of us.

I would have gone to meet him, but Granddad sent me straight home, and said that he would travel to the treaty line himself.

**EphPOV**

Was it strange that I wanted to be the one to bring Carlisle onto the Rez and take him to Billy's home? Yes, I was the Alpha and yes, I had the say as to who entered La Push, at least as far as Cold Ones were concerned; but in some ways I felt a sense of fellowship with the doctor.

We'd known each other for fifty years now; a lifetime in human terms even though neither of us was human. And in that time we'd been both allies and enemies, but the thread that ran through all of it was the protection of our peoples from threats within and outside the Peninsula.

I didn't like Carlisle, but I respected him. And after the mistake that I'd allowed my pride to make half a century ago, there was no way that I'd allow my great-grandchildren to be born with anything less than the best possible medical attention. There was only one doctor in Forks who could give us that, and he was on his way to meet me.

I needed to find out what my wife wanted to do. "Amelia?"

"Yes, Ephraim?"

"Sarah has gone into labor. Would you like to stay here, or go to be with her? I need to go to the treaty line to meet Carlisle Cullen now, but it's up to you what you do."

Amelia picked up her knitting, and some supplies she'd packed the other day. "I'm going to Sarah's house of course; I might not be able to help her but I can keep her home running smoothly. That will leave Doris and Judith to help look after her, and hopefully this will all be over soon. So what are we waiting for?"

There were times when I could forget that Amelia was ageing before me, and this was one of them. Sarah was her great-niece, and so these babies meant even more to her than they would have as Blacks, and her eyes were alight with excitement and anticipation.

I took her hand in mine, careful not to crush its delicate bones and papery skin in my grip, and headed towards the door.

Then after delivering Amelia to Billy's house, I slipped into the forest, running towards the treaty line as fast as my human form would allow me to. I didn't want the trouble of phasing, and I could still cover the ground quickly.

I arrived at the meeting place just in time to see Carlisle sprinting towards me. We acknowledged each other and then I turned, making for Billy's, Carlisle following closely behind. We stole quietly through the undergrowth, the brown and green of the trees and branches blurring as we left them in our wake.

Twenty minutes later we'd arrived; me ever so slightly breathless, but Carlisle with not a hair out of place. I slowed to a walk and he fell into step beside me as I approached the door, tapping it lightly before opening it and holding it open for my guest.

"Billy?" I called out to my grandson. "Dr. Cullen is here."

He showed Carlisle into the bedroom where Sarah was laboring and I found a chair, sitting quietly and chatting to Bill. He was about to become a grandfather; where had the time gone?

Sarah labored throughout the night; every so often somebody would leave the room to give us updates. As time wore on and the sun rose, I excused myself and went outside, walking down the beach until I found a piece of driftwood to sit on.

I sat staring into space, watching the clouds scudding across the sky and the colors changing from dawn's pinks and oranges to the blue that would greet my latest descendants. I thought about my life, the times when I had waited for other babies to be born; the joy when my son and grandchildren arrived, and the despair when I lost my baby daughters.

Had I not been a wolf, I'd be an old man by now. Or rather, I was an old man anyway, but the outside would match the inside. Greeting a new life was joyous, but with every day that dawned Amelia was getting older and I was staying the same.

She wasn't my imprint, so I could live without her; whether I wanted to was another matter. I could only hope that when she did go, she didn't suffer, and that between now and then we could still have some years left to be each other's lover, companion and best friend.

I heard a door open, and Billy's voice carried to me on the wind, as clear as a bell to my wolf hearing. "Granddad! Come quickly! We have two beautiful baby girls."

I jumped up and ran back to the house. I was a great-grandfather, and life was sweet.

**CharliePOV**

I'd joined the Police Department of Forks in the past year. The phone didn't ring all that often, and usually when it rang there was business that I needed to attend to; a car crash, a robbery, a fight. Forks was not exactly a hotbed of serious criminal activity.

I'd passed up on the chance to go to college and stayed in Forks to take care of Mom and Dad. They'd been in their forties when I was born and so were in their sixties now, and their health wasn't good.

I didn't mind; growing up with my friends Billy, Harry and Four, I envied them their role as protectors of the Quileute tribe. In a way my choice of a career in law enforcement was an echo of what they did; I was a protector too, but of the people of Forks.

A part of my position involved being the keeper of the secrets for the tribe and the Cullens. It might not have been intended for me to know as much as I did, but really the presence of these two factions alongside each other in the area for so long was a testament to the hard work of Carlisle Cullen and Ephraim Black.

Of course Ephraim was born to his position; Carlisle had merely decided to live here for an extended period of time. I wasn't too happy about that, but he was a vampire; it wasn't as if the authorities in the town could force him to leave.

And we benefited from his financial largesse; for such a small town our hospital had first-class facilities and our charities were well provided for.

I dealt with the situation as best I could, and to be fair, the hybrid vampire children had grown up to be law-abiding, if reclusive. But I didn't want to raise a child here and I didn't think anything could change my view on that.

The phone rang in my office, and I picked it up to answer it.

"Forks Police Department, Charlie Swan speaking."

It was Billy, and he was beside himself with joy and excitement; you could hear it in his voice.

"Charlie! It's Billy here. Do you have a moment?"

"Sure thing, you know we're not exactly rushed here most days." I chuckled.

"Sarah's had twin girls Charlie. I'm a father!"

"Congratulations, although I think Sarah should get most of the credit. Do you have names for them yet?"

"They're to be called Rachel and Rebecca, and we'd love you to come out to the Rez and celebrate with us, we're going to have a party on Saturday."

I checked the staff roster. I wasn't scheduled to be at work on Saturday, so I could go and see the new babies.

"I'd love to come and I have Saturday free. Make sure you have some beer chilled and I'll see you then."

"Great. I'll see you Saturday. Bye for now."

"Bye Billy. Give my love to Sarah."

I hung up the phone, and returned to my paperwork. Life was moving on for some of my friends at least. I'd like to meet that special someone too, but I knew everyone in Forks and there was nobody here for me.

I finished my shift, cleared my desk and headed home to Mom and Dad. Mom was beginning to have difficulty remembering who I was, but she saw me every day and was content to have me care for her. Dad did what he could, but his arthritis kept him from doing as much as he'd like.

I made them their dinner, fed Mom and then set down at the kitchen table with Dad, talking about my day and his. I told him Billy's news and he was happy for him and Sarah, asking me to pass on his and Mom's good wishes.

Three days later, I was on my way to the Rez to see Sarah, Billy and the babies. I drove my Police cruiser down to the Black's house, passing a hippie van along the way, one I'd never seen before.

I parked my car and started walking along the beach. I'd go to Billy's in a minute but I always liked to have stroll along the beach when I came here. Then I could breathe in the fresh sea air, and take in the big open sky. Neither of which were on offer when I was in Forks. A girl with long brown hair was running along the beach, laughing and calling out to her friends.

She was looking towards the waves and, too late, realized that she was on a collision course with me. She bumped into me, looked up, and said "Sorry, I didn't see you there, I'm such a klutz!"

I looked into her eyes. My heart was hers, and my life would never be the same again.


	32. Chapter 32

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**1986**

**CharliePOV**

I was in love. It was that swift, and that irrevocable. I didn't even know this girl's name, but everything about her attracted me.

Her sense of fun, her long brown hair and sparkling blue eyes, they all spoke to me in a way that the colorless quiet girls around Forks didn't.

My entire life was duty and responsibility; duty to the people of Forks as a Police officer, responsibility to my parents. This girl made me feel weightless; like I was free and there was nothing that could stop me.

And I didn't even know her name. I had to do something about that, and now.

She'd bumped into me, and then bounced back onto her heels. As she spun to run away from me and back down the beach I spoke to her. I was nervous, and didn't know what to say, but finally I forced some words out.

"What's your name? Mine's Charlie Swan."

She laughed, and replied "Renee Higginbotham. A bit of a mouthful isn't it? Not like Swan at least."

Billy's house, and the new babies in it, was temporarily forgotten. I wanted to spend some more time with Renee.

"Would you like to go for a walk on the beach with me? I'd like to get to know you; I've never seen you around here before."

"No, you wouldn't have, I'm here on holidays with my girlfriends. I'm from California really. And I'd love to take a walk with you."

We set off down the beach, strolling along the sand chatting and learning about each other. As we became more used to each other Renee's playfulness came back in full force and she began to run into the shallows of the surf, splashing around with her feet and flicking water at me.

I returned the favor, splashing her back; soon we were both drenched. We stood there looking at each other and then dissolved into fits of laughter.

I never wanted my time with Renee to end, but I still hadn't been to Billy's. And now I looked like I'd swum to La Push.

I decided to ask her to come with me. The worst that she could say would be no.

"Renee, I was wondering if I could ask you a favor? I really want to spend some more time with you today, but I came out here to see my friend Billy and his wife. They just became parents for the first time, they have twins."

Renee jumped up and down, her hands clasped together. "I love babies! And sure I'd love to meet your friends; although we both look a bit of a mess now. Just give me a minute to tell my friends where I'm going and we can go visit."

Yeah we were a mess, and although Billy would be far too polite to say anything in front of Renee, it was my guess that I'd be paying for it later. This was an opportunity too good to miss for him; bachelor Charlie finds girl on a beach, yep I was in for it.

Renee took off down the beach towards a group of girls. I saw her stop and talk to them for a couple of minutes and then head back to me. They seemed pretty busy; there were a few Quileute that they were talking to. I guess anyone new to a place as small as this was a novelty.

We made our way together to Billy and Sarah's house; _together_, I liked the sound of that. I liked it very much. Could it be that for the first time in my life I could see myself as part of a couple?

Once we'd arrived at the house I knocked at the door and waited half expectantly, half nervously, for the door to open. Billy opened the door, looked me up and down and then, having noticed Renee standing behind me, quirked an eyebrow and smiled strangely.

I pretended not to notice and introduced my new friend. "Billy, this is Renee Higginbotham. We met today on the beach and she agreed to come with me to see your new babies, if that's okay."

"Sure, sure." Billy grinned and stepped aside to let us in. We followed him into the living room and he disappeared for a moment, returning with a couple of towels for us to dry ourselves off with. After we'd toweled ourselves, he took us to where Sarah was seated, a baby in each arm.

Their daughters were beautiful, two identical girls with black hair and dark eyes as you'd expect, but also something else indefinable about them. For want of a better word, I called it the Black look. As a family there was just this sense of nobility about them, of being born to lead this tribe, and the girls, even as babies looked alert and full of potential.

"Would you like to hold them?" Sarah directed the question at me but Renee seemed keen to join in as well. I introduced Renee to Sarah and then we took one each; I held Rebecca and Renee held Rachel.

Looking at Renee holding a dark-haired baby girl in her arms I had a sudden glimpse of the future; me married to this woman and the two of us parents to a baby much like this one. And I realized that this was who I wanted in my life, and I didn't want to have to wait for her.

I wanted to stay in the moment a bit longer; but Billy had other ideas. He turned to me and said "Got a minute Swan?"

I handed Rebecca to Renee as well; she was tickled to have two babies in her arms to coo over. As I walked away I looked over my shoulder and she was there chatting to Sarah as if she'd known her all her life.

Billy and I headed for the fridge, took out a beer each and went outside to the garage; finding some makeshift wooden boxes to sit on. We sat in silence for a while drinking our beers and staring into space, and then Billy finally spoke.

"So, this girl you've brought with you, Renee is it? Nice looking girl Charlie, didn't know you had it in you. How long have you known her?"

I flushed bright red. This was embarrassing, and there was no escape, those Black eyes were boring into me like lasers.

"Umm, err..." I couldn't get the words out, and why should I have to, he knew the answer already. I glared at him, trying to cover my discomfort by turning it back onto my friend.

"Dammit Billy, you know we've only just met!" I spluttered, "If I'd known her for more than five minutes you'd have heard of her already."

Billy exploded into laughter; his whole body shook in a deep bass rumble and the tears ran down his face, which he wiped away with the back of his hand.

Finally he spoke, taunting me. "Yeah Charlie I knew she had to be new on the scene; we never keep secrets from each other do we now?"

"No we don't Billy, and I know this is all very sudden, but I really think she could be the one for me. I've not felt this strong an attraction to any other woman in my life. So yeah, have a joke at my expense because I don't give a damn. If by some miracle I can have Renee it won't matter what you or anyone else thinks of us; I'll be too happy to care."

Billy's features softened and became more serious. "If she's who you want then that's far from a joke my friend. But just make sure first that she is the girl for you, spend some more time with her, get to know her much better than you do now. If she's right for you then the time won't be wasted; if she's not then you might have saved yourself from a bad mistake. I just want you to be careful is all."

"Always am Billy, always am."

He stood up and I followed suit. He tossed his empty can into a drum near the entrance of the garage and so did I. Then we headed back to the house and to the women who waited there and who held our hearts in their keeping.

Renee was deep in conversation with Sarah when we returned, looking up to see us both re-enter the room. She thanked Sarah for her welcome, and handed the babies back to her, rising to greet me so we could give our thanks to our hosts and leave.

"We'll be off now Sarah, Billy, and let you be. Your babies are beautiful, just like their mother." I offered.

Renee piped up "Yes, and thanks so much for letting me hold the girls, after all you hardly know me."

Sarah smiled and responded "Not at all Renee. Any friend of Charlie is a friend of ours; we hope to see you here again soon."

We turned to leave, and Billy followed us to the door. I opened it to let Renee out before me and as I started to follow her Billy whispered in my ear "Remember what I said old buddy, one step at a time."

I knew he only wanted what was best for me but this time he was wrong. I knew in every fiber of my being that Renee was the only woman I'd ever love and I didn't need to mark days off a calendar to prove it.

After we'd ventured back outside I took Renee by the hand, softly and carefully in case she didn't want to be touched in that way, and walked back with her to where the waves met the shoreline. She turned towards me and took my other hand in hers and we stood quietly, our foreheads touching as we leaned into one another.

After a few moments of silence I took a deep breath, and mustered up the courage to ask her the question that had been on the tip of my tongue all day. "May I see you again Renee? I've enjoyed this afternoon and would really love spend more time with you."

She was thoughtful for a minute or two and then gave me her answer, the one I'd hoped for but not allowed myself to believe I'd ever get.

"Yes Charlie, I'd love to see you again."

I had to go back to Forks, but I wasn't going to be working the next day, unless I was called in for an emergency. I made arrangements to see her tomorrow and to have dinner with her that night.

Did I dare? I let go of her left hand with my right, tilted her chin up to meet my gaze, and kissed her. It was the sweetest kiss I'd ever tasted and I wanted more. I kissed her again, more passionately this time, and wrapped her in my arms, holding her until it was time to leave.

Then I said my farewells to her and headed back to my car and to the life in Forks that had such a claim on me; my home and my invalid parents. She watched me go, and then set off to find her own friends and have her fun without me.

All of a sudden I resented my life, the restrictions and the things I had to do. I wanted to turn the car around and just find her again and take her away with me, far from anyone and anything I knew, but I couldn't.

A few days later she headed back out on the road, but I'd managed to persuade her to come back to Forks soon and see me. It was the best we could manage, and I counted the days until she returned.

**CarlislePOV**

Just as I had predicted, the children (as I still liked to call them) had begun to pair off and marry each other. Humans had no appeal for them whatsoever, their frailties and limited abilities made them seem less interesting to be around than the other vampires.

There'd been half a dozen weddings over the past few years, starting with Sean and Josie's, and now there were children on the way.

Josie was not at all keen to deliver her first child in the hospital, she didn't want to be around other mothers and to be honest the differences between her and the other women would be very noticeable.

So I converted a spare bedroom in our home to a delivery room, and kept it well equipped with everything that might be needed. It wasn't just for Josie's benefit, there would be other babies born here in the next few years I was certain.

I'd wondered whether there'd be another generation, and this was my answer. My scientist side examined the evidence I'd gained from testing Josie with ultrasounds and the like, and I'd been able to draw some conclusions.

Josie and her kind were the offspring of a vampire and a human, that is, half-vampires. Her child, and the others to be born, were the issue of two half-vampires. So in essence she was going to deliver a child much like herself but with one major difference.

The child, and every other child born this way, would be half human, one quarter Jasper, and one quarter Edward. I wondered what difference that might make, if any. Would the powers be handed down, and would this make for even more talented children? And what would they be like temperamentally?

I was both apprehensive and excited; my so called grandchildren could be a new phenomenon in the vampire world; hybrid vampires with multiple abilities. And that would make them an object of curiosity to an even greater extent than Josie's generation might be.

I was reminded again how critical it was to ensure that Aro never found out about what had been happening with my family. Whether he saw the children as fodder for experimentation or a reason to wipe my family from the face of the earth didn't matter, either way we were at risk.

I disliked taking lives but I would do it again in a heartbeat if it kept human drinkers and their memories away from Volterra. I supposed that while ever the Pack was around my musings were mostly academic; they wouldn't tolerate other vampires in their territory anyway.

I decided to put my fears to the back of my mind and get on with dealing with what was in front of my nose. Josie was sitting downstairs in the living room; I went down to check on her again. She was a strange color, and perhaps more than a little nauseous.

"Are you okay sweetheart? You look a bit pale, even for you."

She tilted her head upwards slightly; enough to meet my eyes but not enough to throw her off balance or make herself sick.

"Yes Papa, I think so, although I'm queasy and thirsty at the same time."

There were a few different aspects to her diet of course than would be true for a human pregnancy. She was a blood drinker, and had been all her life. Our numbers made hunting difficult, so we'd managed over the years by taking trips out of state once a month and also using the excess blood from a blood bank I'd set up for the hospital in Forks.

The baby was draining her, as she had her mother, and so I brought blood home for her to drink. The nausea she was feeling would make eating difficult but as long as she could manage some food, and also drink a bit, I thought she'd be fine.

"I'll bring you some blood. I've stored it in the fridge for you, would you like it like that or do you want me to warm it for you?"

"Warmed I think. Cold it's too thick and hard to swallow, don't forget I'm half human after all."

I went into the kitchen, took the bag of blood and put it in the microwave. While it was warming I went back to Josie and examined her a bit more closely, checking her temperature, pulse and blood pressure.

I was happy with what I found; satisfied that Josie was fine for the time being. After the blood had heated up I brought it out to her in a carafe and poured it for her a glass at a time. She sipped it slowly and eventually finished drinking it, settling back down on the sofa for a nap.

But before she fell asleep she lifted her head up one more time. "Papa, would you please phone Sean and let him know that I'll be late home? I'm tired and I want to rest for a while."

I made the call, and then retreated to my study to do some more research. I wanted to be better informed, but the only way to do that was to ask the Volturi for help and that would never do. So I went back over my old books looking for answers and trying to discover whether or not this had ever happened before. I somehow doubted it.

**CharliePOV**

Renee was coming back to Forks today. Since she'd left, the greyness that surrounded me here took hold of my heart and mood as well. I missed her, and I was desperate to see her again.

I didn't know where she was going to be at any time, but I'd given her my phone numbers and asked her to call me. Finally the day came when she did.

She was going to visit me at the Station, having been dropped off by her friends who were continuing on to California. I found somewhere cheap for her to stay, and booked a restaurant for dinner. This time I wasn't going to let her out of my sight.

I was tapping away at my keyboard, entering some data into our computer system, when she came skipping into the building, calling out my name and saying a cheery hello to everyone she passed. By the time she arrived at the front counter I was there waiting for her, my coat on and my car keys in my hand.

"Shall we go?" I asked her happily, caught up in her infectious mood. Heads swiveled, as the other officers and staff of the Station took in the first sighting of the new and improved Charlie Swan. If I thought about it, I'd be embarrassed, so I didn't think about it.

"After you Charlie" she replied, kissing me and slipping her hand in mine heedless of the eyes that were following us out the door.

I needed to get changed for our date so I went home with her, introducing her to my mother and father and slipping upstairs to put on some jeans and a blue button-down shirt.

I came back downstairs to find her deep in conversation with my father, who had a twinkle in his eye as she flirted outrageously with him. Mother smiled, but had no idea who she was and so was content to let it all pass her by.

It wasn't everyday that my own father showed me up. I was a little bit jealous, so I nipped their little bit of banter in the bud. I coughed loudly, saying to Renee "Are you ready to go now? I was going to show you around Forks and the National Parks around here and then we can go to dinner."

She nodded but said in reply "I don't know Charlie, maybe I'd rather go out with your Dad. He's a charming man to be sure."

Dad chuckled and waved us off. "Nice of you to say so Renee and I enjoyed meeting you. Don't be a stranger; I hope to see you again soon."

I took Renee around the sights of Forks and the surrounding areas, such as they were. She was fairly quiet as I drove, we chatted, but it was mostly small talk. Both of us felt a tension in the air, as if we were on the cusp of something big, something that might change our lives forever.

At the restaurant, we were seated at a table in the corner, away from the other diners. We began to talk more freely then and with each word she said I fell in love a little bit more. This was all happening so fast, I wanted it to keep going but at the same time I was losing myself in her.

Billy's words to me were in my head, but not my heart, and my heart was winning. We were eating our desserts and drinking wine when suddenly I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to say the words that were on my tongue, and I had to say them now.

"Renee?" I whispered softly to her.

She lifted her eyes from her bowl and met mine. "Yes Charlie?"

"I have something to say to you if you'll let me." She nodded, giving me the opening I needed to go further.

"I know we hardly know each other, and we've spent very little time together, but I feel deeply connected to you and have done since the day we met. In truth, it was love at first sight for me, and I'm not that kind of guy."

Renee giggled. "Yes I remember the look on your face the day I ran into you. You looked as if you were about to tell me off and then you saw my face and the words never came."

I took a deep breath. "Yes, you're right, you knocked me sideways in more ways than one. And because of that, because of what you've done to me, I can't live without you anymore."

I picked up my napkin, wiped my mouth with it, placed it on my plate and stood up, making my way to the other side of the table.

I dropped to one knee, took Renee's hand in mine, gazed into her beautiful blue eyes and said the words I'd wanted to say for weeks. "I love you Renee. Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?"

Her face lit up. "Yes, Charlie, yes. I've been waiting for you to ask me."

The patrons around us clapped and cheered and the waiter brought us champagne and chocolates. We toasted our engagement and then left the restaurant our arms entwined around each other. I didn't have a ring, I'd caught myself and my fiancée by surprise, but we could choose one tomorrow.

We'd get a license, and be married by a Judge. I didn't need or want a church wedding and neither did Renee. What we needed to do was to start our married life as soon as possible; I didn't want to wait for her for another day.

As it turned out, I waited for three. That was how long it took for a marriage license to be granted. We took my parents with us to the ceremony, as well as Billy Harry and Four. Renee wasn't traditional, a long white dress wasn't her style, so she wore a pale pink kind of 1920s dress she bought from a thrift store and carried a small bouquet of flowers. She looked like a flapper with her strings of beads and headband, but so beautiful she took my breath away. I wore a dark suit and tie, my toes being pinched uncomfortably by my tight fitting black shoes.

Twenty minutes later we were husband and wife, emerging from the Courthouse squinting in the glare of an uncharacteristically sunny day. But before we'd all made it to our cars to go to our little celebration at a nearby restaurant, clouds moved overhead, blocking out the sun. I wondered if this was an omen, but shrugged it off. This was the happiest day of my life.


	33. Chapter 33

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**1987**

**CharliePOV**

Renee and I had been married for about three months. I thanked God every day for bringing her to me; she was the light of my life. We'd set up home in a small two-bedroom house not far from my parents' place, and begun the process of getting to know each other better, since we hadn't done that before the wedding.

I'd woken early so that I could get to work; I was on the day shift. I tried to avoid late shifts now that I was married as Renee didn't like to be alone at night and I didn't like it much either. I figured after all the evening and night shifts I'd taken for my married buddies, they owed me a few in return.

But when I rolled over in bed to say good morning to my wife, she wasn't there. I got up, and threw a robe on, it was winter after all, and went to look for her.

I found her in the bathroom; her head over the toilet bowl, vomiting. I felt helpless, so I crouched down and picked up her hair that had fallen down around her face, holding it in a ponytail behind her head and speaking soothingly to her.

"Are you alright, sweetheart? Can I get you anything?"

Renee turned to me, and I could see for the first time how ill she looked. She was pale, and her skin was a little clammy. She looked like she was about to say something, but before she could she turned back to the bowl and began throwing up again.

Finally, she was able to stop what she was doing long enough to whisper, "Honey, I think I will be okay now, but would you be a darling and get me some dry crackers and some weak tea? I really don't think I could keep anything down."

"I'll go and get you your tea and crackers, but first you need to come back to bed."

I slipped my arms around her waist and helped her to stand. She was wobbly on her feet after so long on the floor and the fluids she'd lost, so I picked her up and carried her back to bed, placing her under the covers and then going downstairs.

The phone was near the kitchen; I picked it up and dialed the Station. The receptionist put me through to the Chief and I explained to him that my wife was sick, and I wanted to take her to the doctor. He said he'd have a look at the roster, and give me a call back.

While I was waiting, I busied myself in the kitchen, finding some dry crackers and boiling the kettle to make some tea for Renee. I was placing it on a tray to take up to her when the phone rang.

I picked it up and answered it. "Swan residence, Charlie Swan speaking."

"Charlie, this is the Chief. I've arranged for you to swap your shift with Dan; he was going to be on the evening shift so if you could come in then I'd appreciate it. Take Renee to the doctor, I hope there's nothing wrong with her, and then let me know what arrangements you need to make."

That was a relief. I thanked him for his assistance; he was a hardass but if you were straight with him he'd usually help out.

"Thanks Chief. I'll be there at two-thirty."

I dialed the number of the doctor's office, and booked ourselves in for 10 o'clock. Then I showered and dressed, thinking about Renee and wondering if there was something I was missing.

Renee was awake, but resting. I sat on the bed and stroked her hair.

"We're going to the doctor. And before you say anything I insist. I've changed my shift at work so I can come with you."

She smiled weakly at me, a strange expression on her face. "I'll go, don't worry about that. But I can save you the trouble of wondering what's wrong with me."

She pointed to her bedside table. "Open the drawer. What do you see there?"

There was a plastic disk with the letters HcG on it, and a red plus sign in a circle in the middle of it. I picked it up, looked at it, and handed it to her, nonplussed.

"Oh Charlie, for such a clever man you really have no idea do you?" She laughed at me, the first happy sound I'd had from her today.

"I'm pregnant. I missed my period a couple of weeks ago and this is the proof. I didn't want to say anything until I'd been to the doctor but you've caught me out. So I'll go with you this morning and we'll have it confirmed."

I was shocked. Or was I? We hadn't been trying for a baby but we hadn't been careful either. I was embarrassed though that my observational skills had deserted me so completely.

I needed to collect myself, and respond to Renee, who was beginning to look downcast. She spoke very quietly then, before I could reply.

"You do want this baby don't you? I know we never talked about it but you know how it is, there were times when I forgot to take my pill and I guess I was just enjoying you so much I didn't think to stop myself."

"Oh sweetheart" I implored her, wrapping her in my arms. "How could you ever think that I'd not want our baby? He or she will be the most precious gift to me after you. You're my world Renee; I want to be a father more than anything. You've just taken me by surprise is all."

My shirt began to feel damp; I looked down and tears were streaming down her face. She'd doubted me, doubted that her husband of less than a year would want to keep the baby she was carrying. And maybe she was overwhelmed, I knew I was. I kissed the top of her head, and kept stroking her silky long hair until she choked out a sob, coughed and straightened, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her pajamas.

I was a failure as a husband, and I didn't know what to say. My darling girl meant so much to me, but she was free-spirited and flighty; I didn't want to smother her but I didn't want to drive her away by not caring enough either. I decided to be practical.

"Can you get up now? Go take a shower and wash your hair, you'll feel much better afterwards. And then if you can bear it, I'll make you some toast. We need to leave for the doctor's office in about an hour."

She nodded, and sat up fully, swinging her legs onto the floor and standing slowly. After a minute or two she collected her things and headed for the bathroom.

I went downstairs to wait for her, grabbing the daily paper off the front doorstep. I made myself a cup of coffee and sat on a kitchen stool to read the paper and drink my brew. For once I wished I could have something stronger to drink.

Hours later Renee's news was confirmed. We were going to be parents. I was both ecstatic and scared to death; it was a big responsibility and I didn't know if I was up to it.

But as the months passed and we settled into our lives together I found my fears receding. The heady passion of our earliest days together didn't leave us entirely, but Renee was tired most of the time and sometimes unwell, so we'd entered a quieter phase of our marriage.

I was content; I liked nothing more than coming home from work each night to find my wife waiting for me, but I worried about her.

Sometimes her happiness bubbled out of her like a water fountain; but other times she was quiet, pensive, as though her life here was weighing down on her in some way.

When possible, I tried to take her out of the house and into the fresh air. On my days off we went for picnics, or for lunch in town and a short walk. We'd walk hand in hand, maybe visit the library, see a movie, whatever our tight budget could afford.

On one of those days we came across one of the Cullen half-breeds pushing a stroller. I hadn't told Renee anything about them; they kept to themselves and were rarely sighted in Forks. To be honest I feared that if she knew about them she'd either run a mile or try to get too close to them, and neither of those possibilities appealed to me much.

Renee loved babies, so it was no wonder that she approached the new mother with genuine interest. "Hello" she said to her, Josie I thought it was.

"I adore babies. May I?" And before anyone could object she bent down to try to see the new baby a little better.

But then something strange happened. Josie seemed taken aback and tried to move away. And before I could try to work out what was happening Renee jerked backwards, a look of shock on her face. She grabbed me by the arm, pulling me away from Josie and the baby, and hissed "We're leaving Charlie, NOW."

I shook her off as gently as I could, and took a closer look at the child myself. What I saw made shivers run up my spine. The child, a boy I thought it was, was the most beautifully cherubic baby you could ever see, in all respects except his eyes. And they were deeply sinister looking, golden like the Cullens', but with a glow and an eerie cast to them that frightened me. Who or what were these children?

I was no keener to remain here than Renee was. We hastily said our goodbyes and left. Renee was strangely quiet on the way home, and for some time after; we didn't see Josie and her child again, nor did we want to.

I knew that several of the vampire half-breeds were having families; but I kept it to myself. I didn't want to alarm her. She never asked me why the child looked like that and I never told her; it was as if she knew that some things were best left unsaid.

Things changed after that; Renee became more nervous, and more highly strung. It was harder for me to lighten her moods, and harder for her to deal with daily life in Forks. Living here was both tedious and frightening.

Eventually it wasnearing the time for the birth of our baby. We'd opted not to find out the sex beforehand; I didn't really care one way or the other but Renee was spontaneous and wanted to have the surprise.

Dr. Cullen was going to be delivering the baby. Sure there were other doctors and, knowing what he was, I had my reservations, but even now Renee was clueless. She saw a handsome man with a big reputation; a man who'd done a lot for Forks and was well spoken of.

So I gave in. But when she wasn't around I let it be known to Carlisle that I expected him to be discreet and not reveal his true nature to her. Renee wouldn't toe the line like the rest of Forks; it would arouse her curiosity and she wouldn't be able to keep quiet about it, especially after the episode with the baby.

Her checkups were once a week now, and after taking her to one I'd dropped her home and then headed to work. I was typing up some reports when the phone at my desk rang.

"Forks Police Department. Officer Swan speaking."

"Charlie!"

It was Renee. She started to speak but I heard her cry out in pain and then drop the phone. I grabbed my keys and jacket and headed for the car park as quickly as I could, not even stopping to tell anyone where I was going. This was Forks, they'd work it out.

Driving home from the station, I floored the accelerator. I was a cop; might as well use it for once. I made it home in half the normal time to find Renee bent over the kitchen table in the grip of a contraction, trying to ride it out, pain etched into her beautiful face.

I glanced around the room, looking for the bag she'd packed a few weeks ago but I couldn't see it. After the contraction passed she sighed heavily and pointed upstairs, too strung out to speak. I found it in the spare room, the one we'd decorated as a nursery, near the wooden crib I'd made.

I checked it; everything she'd need in the hospital was there. I took it and went into the other bedroom, opening an overnight bag and tossing some things of my own into it. After all, we might be gone awhile. I raced down the stairs, taking the last few a couple at a time, and then dashed outside to the car, tossing the bags into it and jumping into the driver's seat.

As I turned the keys in the ignition, I realized I was missing something. Hearing the front door slam I looked up to see Renee walking towards me. How could I be so stupid?

"Forget something?" She laughed; probably the only light moment we'd have for hours.

I felt so silly, but Renee didn't seem too bothered by it all. I tried to make up for it by jumping back out of the car and running around to the passenger side to hold the door open and help her into her seat.

But before we could set off she was gripped by another contraction. I felt helpless, so I mopped her brow and waited for it to pass. After it had, I returned to the driver's side, setting off on the way to the hospital.

This time, I used the siren. It wasn't a long trip but I didn't want anyone getting in the way. And I sure as hell didn't want my child to be born in the vehicle.

They must have heard me coming, because by the time I'd pulled up outside the emergency department some staff had come outside to see what was happening. They took one look at Renee and disappeared inside again, reappearing moments later with a wheelchair for her.

I was worse than useless, flapping about like a bat in uniform, so I got out of the way and fished the gear out of the trunk of the cruiser. I tried to calm my nerves a bit, but nothing was working, so I just concentrated on following the retreating figures of the medical staff and my wife as they wended their way down the corridors towards the labor wards.

I knew Renee would probably want me in the delivery room but I wasn't keen. And after seeing how jumpy I was, the nurses shooed me outside until I could collect myself. I paced up and down in the waiting room, dying for a cigarette but unable to have one.

As I was trying to decide what to do next, Carlisle showed up. He took in the sight of me and my obvious agitation, chuckled and said "Charlie, son, everything alright?"

"No it's not" I huffed. "My wife is in there laboring with our first child and I'm no use to her whatsoever."

"Would you like to be?" Carlisle enquired, his tone gentle.

"Yes I would. I'm a cop for Chrissake, I've been to car crashes and murder scenes, and I can't go into a delivery room?"

"Come with me then. I'll help you with it. When we go in, stand by the head of the bed and talk to her. You can support her that way without being too involved with the birth."

That sounded like a plan to me. When we entered the room I found a place to stand and held Renee's hand. I distracted her with soothing words, mopping her brow when she needed me to.

The hours passed; I'd stopped watching the clock ages ago and just focused on the here and now. I waited for each contraction and helped her through it; tried to give her strength as they came more often and for longer.

After some time, maybe six hours and maybe twenty, Carlisle checked her again and told her she could start to push.

I took hold of her hand. Each time she pushed, she gripped it so hard I thought my bones would break. Every push was bringing us closer to the moment we'd been waiting for.

There was panting, and then a scream. I saw Carlisle's head dip down as he put his icy cold hands between her legs, and guided our baby into the bright lights of the delivery room.

A dark-haired baby emerged, covered in fluids. There was a moment of silence and then a cry filled the air. Carlisle smiled, and then announced "Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Swan, you have a beautiful baby girl."

The cord was cut, and then our little girl was handed over to us. There'd be time for cleaning her up in a minute; we just wanted the moment to sink in first. Our baby, the one whose name we'd already chosen.

I leaned down and took my two girls into my embrace. I softly asked Renee the question; did she still want to use those names? She said yes, her voice hoarse and breathy still, and so it fell to me to tell those in the room what we'd decided to call our little girl.

"Dr. Cullen, nurses, we'd like you to meet Isabella Marie Swan, Bella for short."

I'd thought that my wedding day was the happiest day of my life, but this exceeded it by far. I loved Renee with all my heart but no matter what else happened to me in my life, I would always be the father of this girl. I adored her already, and couldn't wait to take her home with us.

We settled into a new routine; for me work, for Renee caring for little Bella. When I wasn't at work or at home with my girls I was with my parents, making sure that they had everything they needed. Yes, our responsibilities were heavy, but I was used to them. To me, it was part of being an adult.

But once the glow of new parenthood that sustained us in the first few months had passed, the very things that had drawn me to Renee were now the things that seemed to be driving us apart. She was so very young, and she hadn't expected when she set out on her trip to be a wife and mother within a year.

She chafed under the responsibilities. It was like catching a butterfly in a net and pinning it in a display case. I couldn't afford to give her a better life; and my parents needed me. I was stuck in Forks, and so was Renee. Or so I thought.

One night I came home from work to find her sitting in the living room, her head in her hands.

"Honey? What's the matter?" I asked her, concerned.

She turned to me and for a moment her eyes flashed with some spark of life.

"I'll tell you what's the matter. Everything's the matter. This town, this life, you, Bella, everything. I wanted to see the world. How did I end up here, living this life?"

"You're here because you love me aren't you? And you know I love you very much."

She began to sob. I sat on the arm of the chair and held her to me, waiting for her crying to peter out so we could talk. Eventually she took a Kleenex out of her pocket and blew her nose. Then she turned her attention to me.

"I can't do this anymore Charlie. Can't be in this podunk town with the dreary weather day in and day out and your dreary job day in and day out, and your parents and Bella and just everything. It's too much, I want out. And if we go she'll be far away from that creepy kid we saw. I think we should move to California and start a new life there."

She'd clearly been thinking about this for a while; but as much as I loved her it didn't take me long to crush her hopes.

"I can't do that; my parents have nobody to care for them except me."

"Then I'm leaving you. I can't be here another day. And I'm taking Bella with me."

Just over a year ago, I'd been a single man, living from day to day in an endless round of work and family, and not caring that my life was like that.

Renee had brought light and hope into my life; painted the colors brighter and given me something else to live for. Now she was leaving me; and even I wasn't stupid enough to think that things would go back to the way they were before I'd met her.

No, I wasn't going to be that lucky. She'd changed me, and so had becoming Bella's father. I wasn't the same Charlie Swan any more. I was about to lose everything that made my life worth living and when I did I'd be a lesser being, a shell of a man.

There wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. Within the month my girls were gone; they boarded a plane and flew to California. Bella would grow up without me, and I would have to content myself with visits to her once a year, and maybe an occasional holiday.

The only good thing about it was that she'd never have to deal with the vampires and wolves that _infested_ this place. Infested; because when my world came crashing down I hated everything about my home, even my supernatural friends who were a part of it.

I lost myself in work, family, football on the TV, and beer. And I swore that no woman would ever do that to me again.


	34. Chapter 34

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**A/N: This chapter contains a hint of citrus. Consider yourself warned; this is an M rated fic.**

**1990**

**UnknownPOV**

I was in my car and on my way out of La Push for a few days. I'd spoken to Ephraim, and he'd let me off my usual patrol for the week. Frankly, the place was annoying the hell out of me at the moment and I needed to get away.

There'd been a population explosion on the Rez. The last one had been important to me, since Sam was born then, back in 1986, but this time around there was nothing happening to interest me.

I was wishing that I wasn't a wolf; if I had been just another human man I could have ordered my life differently. Left La Push maybe, seen something of the wider world, joined the Navy even.

Anything was better than my boring life and my boring wife. And knowing that the other wolves and the Alpha in particular could read my thoughts didn't help.

Frankly the Blacks were all stuffed shirts; full of themselves and so morally upright it made me want to puke. Ephraim's disapproval of me wasn't a secret and yes, I had done things that I wasn't proud of, but he never let me forget any of it.

My family wasn't like the other ones in La Push; we'd always been a bit rebellious and I was no exception. I preferred to have a bit of fun now and then and having it on the Rez presented problems, so I was going to take off for a while.

If Ephraim suspected what I was going to be up to while I was away, or where I was going, he never let on. I was careful not to think about it when I was phased, in case somebody else tuned into it and passed on the information to one of the Blacks.

Had he known, he would have given me a lecture about my responsibilities to the tribe and I wasn't in the mood to hear it. I loved my wife, but she bored me, and since Sam was born she'd become obsessed with the little guy and I was left out in the cold.

I'd reached the intersection with the main road. I looked both ways, and then since there was nothing coming towards me, turned left and set off down the highway.

**EphraimPOV**

Amelia and I were great-grandparents again. After the birth of the twins a few years ago, together with Sam Uley and Leah Clearwater, things had been pretty quiet. It had made me wonder, for a while, where our next wolf pack was coming from. After all, only one of those four babies was a boy.

But last year Sarah had told us she was pregnant again and that was great news. Of course as long as she had a healthy baby we didn't really mind whether it was a boy or not, but deep down I did want to have a great-grandson to carry on the name and bloodline of the Black family. I just didn't say it to anyone.

Amelia was suffering from arthritis and diabetes and beginning to have mobility issues. She was proud, and insisted on walking everywhere, but then one day she found it too painful to try to walk more than a few steps. I bought her a wheelchair and persuaded her to sit in it when we went visiting family and friends on the Rez.

We were on our way to Billy's house to see the new baby. Billy had named him Jacob Ephraim, which pleased me to no end, and he was a big baby, healthy and with a good set of lungs. After seeing his father and grandfather come into the world, I was confident that he would be like them one day; a true Black.

Maybe he'd even be like me; a big strong Alpha wolf and a worthy successor to the Black name and all that went with it. After all the day was going to come when I wasn't the Alpha anymore and I needed to know that whoever followed me would be up to the job.

As always, Amelia knew when I was lost in thought and daydreaming about the future. She interrupted my musings before I ran away with myself.

"Darling, are you plotting and scheming again? Making plans for the Black dynasty?"

I flushed; embarrassed that she'd caught me out again. But after almost fifty years of marriage there was nothing about me she didn't know and there was nowhere for me to hide.

"Okay then," I huffed. "Yes I was. As much as I love Rachel and Rebecca, they're girls. I need to have someone to pass my birthright onto."

"You might be lucky darling. The Cold Ones could leave one day and we'd be able to live normal lives."

I sighed. So many of the Quileute made that assumption; that the Cullens were the only problem we had or ever would have. Sure, they were a pain in the neck and I wished they weren't here, but in some ways they were protecting rather than endangering us.

Non-wolves didn't understand this; didn't understand that there was a big wide world out there, full of Cold Ones and God knew what else, and that the Cullens were the best of the breed. We couldn't relax our vigilance, because if we did the day would come when some more red-eyed creatures would show up and we'd be powerless to stop them.

No, there was always going to be a need for wolves to protect La Push, and if there was no whiff of vampire to provide future generations with the wherewithal to phase, then the ones that had would just have to keep going. I was firm about that; it took too long for exposure to trigger the first transformation to leave something like that to chance.

"Sweetheart, I'd like nothing better than for that to be possible, but you know as well as I do that the supernatural world doesn't begin and end in Forks and La Push. I have a responsibility to the Tribe to keep going and so does the rest of the Pack."

Now it was Amelia's turn to sigh. "Yes, I know about the price we as a tribe pay for the security our shapeshifters give us. I see it in the mirror every day and I see it when I look at my seventy-five year old husband who resembles my grandson. I know you love me but it grieves me that we can't be seen together outside the Rez anymore, and that one day, I'll have to leave you."

I stopped pushing her chair and parked it, moving round to the front so I could squat on my haunches and look her in the eye.

"I don't know what you see when you look in the mirror but, and I've said this to you many times before, what I see is the most beautiful woman on the Rez. So enough with the self-pity my dear and let's get on and see our great-grandson."

I kissed my finger, and touched it to her lips. Then I got up, moved to the back of the chair, released the brake and set off again. A few minutes later we had reached Billy's home and were taken into the bosom of our family.

Everyone was there; Bill and Judith, Billy, Sarah and the girls, and Amelia's Clearwater family. We had a small barbecue to celebrate Jacob's birth and all took turns in holding him. When it was my turn I took the squirming infant, cradled him in my arms, and held out my finger for him to grasp in his tiny fist.

I nuzzled him, and looked closely into those dark eyes, which smiled and seemed full of mischief. He was going to be a handful one day, I was certain of that. He gurgled happily, and then a look of intense concentration passed across his face; I knew what that was about so I handed him quickly back to his mother and went in search of Billy.

I'd half expected to see Charlie Swan here too but he was noticeable by his absence, and I wanted to find out why. I found Billy in the kitchen and jerked my head in the direction of the front door. He took a couple of beers from the fridge and we set off down the beach for a walk. A few minutes later I asked him about it.

"So, Daddy Black, I've not seen your old friend Charlie here much of late. Tell me, how's he doing?"

"I wish I knew Granddad. He hardly ever comes out here anymore, even though I keep inviting him, and when I go to see him in town he doesn't seem pleased to see me. His house is a mess, he lives on takeout and trips to the diner, and he drinks too much. I know Renee leaving hit him hard, but it's been two or more years now, he needs to move on from it."

Something in my memory from that time stirred within me. "Didn't you advise him not to marry her?"

Billy groaned. "Not in so many words but I did point out to him how rushed it all was. I thought then and still do, that it all happened too quickly. It's hard to know whether the same thing would have happened if they'd taken longer, maybe they wouldn't have married at all, but either way he wouldn't have had his heart ripped out like it was."

"Ah, then it's no wonder he avoids you. You were the voice of reason; to spend time with you would mean facing the fact that you were right. Give it time, but don't lose touch with him. One day he'll be ready to come out here and spend time with you and the boys again."

Billy's expression darkened. "There is something else that I've been wondering about. Back in the days before Renee left he mentioned an encounter with one of the Cullen spawn and her new baby. Apparently it looked freakish and Renee was spooked by it. Maybe he's not feeling so well-disposed towards the supernatural anymore."

"Freakish? In what way?"

"Well, I haven't seen any of these kids; although I know quite a few have been _born_, if that's the word for what those half-undead creatures do. The word is that they're not like their parents at all, that they have creepy golden eyes and there's just something not quite right about them. I know someone who's seen some of them and she said they gave her goosebumps."

Did I, as Alpha, have a responsibility to look into this? Or should I leave them alone? The Cullens lived quietly these days, almost reclusively. They hadn't done anything to endanger the treaty and so it might be seen as interfering if I approached them. And most certainly they weren't welcome to nose around on the Rez. All I could do was keep my eyes and ears open, and act as soon as anything untoward happened.

"Thanks for the heads-up Billy, but there's probably little we can do apart from guard the Rez and try to stay well-informed. Don't give up on Charlie, maybe the next time Bella comes to visit you can invite her out here. She's a similar age to the girls; it might be nice for them to have a playmate who isn't part of the tribe."

I crumpled my beer can in my hand, tossing it into a trashcan on the beach. As usual, my aim was true and it sailed into the can without touching the sides. Funny how I got a kick even now from stupid things like that.

I took my leave of Billy. "I think I'll go and find your grandmother now and take her home. She won't admit it, but she tires easily these days and needs to rest more. So to save her dignity, I always pretend it's me who's had enough. I'll see you later on patrol."

We hugged and parted; I found my woman and took her home, lighting a fire in the fireplace and settling her into her favorite chair in front of it. I took a book from our shelf and sat opposite her, reading into the evening until it was time for bed.

**UnknownPOV**

My wanderings had taken me towards Neah Bay, home to the Makah reservation. I didn't remember whether I'd ever been here before, but I didn't think I had. Of course Ephraim Black's first wife came from here, and she was a looker, so maybe there might be more than one type of fun to be had if I was so inclined.

Only one way to find out. I turned off the road and drove onto the Reservation.

I found a motel to stay in; it was sparsely furnished but comfortable enough. Truth be known I wasn't planning to spend too much time in it. I threw my bag onto the couch, took out a change of clothes and headed for the shower. Tonight was the night for me to go out on the town; and it had been so long since I'd done that I was really looking forward to it.

As the water cascaded down my back I mused about why I'd stopped here; I could have gone to Port Angeles or even Seattle in search of whatever it was I was looking for, so why come here? I couldn't deny that something had drawn me in this direction and I didn't really know what it was. At the very

least I wouldn't be judged because of my race here, and that was a plus.

I'd dried off and put some underwear on and then I shaved, although I didn't really need to; I liked the ritual of doing it before a night out. I pulled on some jeans, socks and a white shirt, slipped my boots on, and then I was ready to go.

There was a steakhouse on the Reservation so I headed there. The Rez here was dry, so I knew I wouldn't find a bar anywhere, but I didn't mind. I was more in need of some new faces than anything else; when you saw the same couple of hundred people, day in and day out, for your whole life things got boring.

While I was waiting in the foyer to be seated, a pretty waitress approached me and asked how many were in my party. I answered her "One, unless you want to join me" and gave her a wink. Damn but she was gorgeous.

She declined, saying that she had to finish her shift, but she gave me her number so I could call her later. I was a bit surprised by that, but it had been a while since I'd dated so maybe women were like that now. My wife certainly hadn't been; I'd had to court her the normal Quileute way.

After checking the menu, I ordered a big T-bone and fries. I let the waitress bring me a side salad, but I had no intention of eating it. Salads were rabbit food, I never ate that stuff. And since I couldn't have a beer, I had a root beer instead; I didn't really care what I drank, I just wanted to wash down the meal with something.

I ate, gazing out of the restaurant window and into the bay. The waves were soothing, lulling me into a more contented place than I'd found at home for a while. I was so bored with the whole phasing, patrolling, protectors of the tribe thing; sure I hated Cold Ones but the threat wasn't what it was back in the days when Ephraim Black first became the Alpha. We'd moved on, but he hadn't.

Lost in my daydream, it almost didn't register when the waitress came back to me, order pad in hand, asking me if I wanted anything else. I decided to have some apple pie and another root beer, and maybe some coffee later. I wasn't in a hurry to leave this spot and the restaurant wasn't full.

Half an hour or so later I was finished with my meal and I went to the counter to pay for it. There was another waitress on duty to take my money; when I asked about the one who'd served me she said "Oh, you mean Tiffany Call. She's off duty now and just went out back. You might catch her outside before she goes home."

I had her number of course but it would be easier if I didn't have to use it. I dashed outside in time to see her making for the car park at the back of the restaurant. I couldn't chase and catch her without appearing inhuman so I called out to her instead. "Tiffany! Wait!"

She turned towards me, and when she saw who it was that was calling, she stopped and waited for me to catch up.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I'd like to make good on that invitation you sent by giving me your number. It's pretty quiet here but we could go clubbing in Port Angeles."

She looked tired; she'd been on her feet for hours so I sort of understood it.

"You know what? This is going to sound really bad, but I can't be bothered to go out anywhere, I'm not in the mood for that. Why don't we get some supplies and go back to your room, I'd like to be somewhere we can talk."

My trip away was not turning out the way I'd planned, but somehow I didn't mind. I'd pictured myself at a bar maybe, or clubbing, but I'd let my instincts guide me and they were taking me towards a quiet evening in with a pretty waitress.

She followed me to the motel in her car, that was better than walking and having to leave again on foot. When we arrived, I glanced around and couldn't see anyone out and about; nobody would know she'd come with me.

I took the key out of my pocket, opened the door to my room and held it open for her.

"After you Tiffany."

She kicked off her heels, and stalked over to me. "At last, I have you alone. My God, you are the best looking man I've seen in a long time. I want you _now_."

I'd waited years to hear a woman say that to me. Something about marriage took the heat out of a relationship, it had for me anyway, quite a while ago.

I let Tiffany undo my shirt, one button at a time, slowly and sensually. When she was done with that, she pulled my shirt out of my pants and slid it off my shoulders. It fell to the floor and was soon joined by my jeans, which she'd undone only after slipping her hand down behind the waistband and grasping my cock, stroking it teasingly until I could bear it no longer.

I didn't want to be clothed for a minute longer. In her work uniform, Tiffany was at a disadvantage, but she removed it to reveal a black lace bra and panties, and I realized what it was about her that had drawn me to her. Her breasts were full, and soft, spilling out of her bra, and her panties showed enough of her ass to make me want to see the rest, and soon.

We fell onto the bed, grabbing at each other and taking off what little clothing we had left. We began to fondle each other, and to kiss passionately. I was becoming hard, and my need to be inside her was overwhelming me, making me crazy.

I tossed her onto her back on the bed. And as I prepared to enter her she suddenly said, "Wait. Before we do this, I need to know something. What's your name?"

It was strange that she hadn't asked me already, and I hadn't planned to tell her, but as carried away as I was it just slipped out. And although I didn't know it at the time, I was about to make the biggest mistake of my life.

"My name is Levi. Levi Uley."

I'd told her, and my fate was sealed. Seconds later, we were making love, and conceiving a child whose existence would plague me for years to come.

Starting with the day that a heavily pregnant Tiffany Call appeared in La Push, looking for me, and finding Ephraim Black.

**A/N: The identity of Embry's father has never been revealed by Stephenie Meyer. As such I chose a candidate who, in this universe at least, was the type of man who would do such a thing.**

**A/N2: I have been interviewed by The Luv NV site this week. The interview can be found at www dot theluvnv dot com/2012/11/bmitw-pursued-by-mmsimpy09 dot html**


	35. Chapter 35

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**A/N: There is character death in this chapter; if this bothers you don't read it.**

**1992**

**EphPOV**

It was a sunny day in La Push. I'd been patrolling overnight and so I slept in, emerging from our bedroom to find Amelia in the kitchen. She was busily making sandwiches, salads and cookies, but to what purpose I didn't know.

I approached her from behind as stealthily as I could, grabbing her around the waist and nuzzling her neck. She jumped, shrieking, and the baking tin she was holding clattered to the floor.

She fumed "You're a pain in the neck Ephraim Black. Now look what you've done!"

I turned her around and gave her my best puppy dog look. "I'm sorry sweetheart. Were those for me?"

"No they weren't" she grumbled. "They were for Molly, Joy and the family; they rang me this morning and we're going on a picnic today."

"Oh? Who's going and where are you planning to go?"

She thought for a minute. "I'm not sure exactly where they plan to go yet, maybe to somewhere in the National Park or to Port Angeles, but as far as I know it is mainly an Ateara thing. So Four, Joy and little Quil; Two, Three, Lucy and Molly."

Having so many Quils around was confusing. So long ago we'd followed Billy's lead in nicknaming Four and given similar names to his father and grandfather. It worked, after a fashion.

I couldn't resist a spot of teasing. "And this concerns you how my dear?"

She mock-glared at me. "As you well know Mister, I was born an Ateara. And stop your pouting. I already know that you are busy today and that's why I didn't ask you to come too."

The food was all prepared and packed, and Amelia disappeared for a couple of minutes, reappearing with the flour washed from her hands and wearing a pretty floral dress and walking shoes. A moment or so later there was a knock on the door and I answered it to find Quil IV and Joy waiting outside to collect her.

"Hello Quil, Joy, please come in. Thanks for inviting Amelia on your outing; I only wish I could go myself."

The three of them came inside and sat down on my couch. "You're not the only one. We were going to ask little Jacob Black to come too as a playmate for Quil, but he's in Forks today. So we're taking Embry Call instead."

"Jacob's going to be in Forks? Why?" I had no idea what he would be doing in there; as a family we discouraged trips into town now that these new Cold Ones were around. But Embry going was good, I needed to deal with his mother today and that would be easier if he wasn't around.

"Apparently young Bella Swan is in town visiting Charlie. So he invited Jake to come to their place and play with her. Billy and Sarah will both be there, Sarah to supervise the kids no doubt and Billy to have a beer with Charlie and watch the football game."

I laughed. Yeah I could see that happening; Charlie had become a confirmed bachelor in the years since Renee had left and would have no idea what to do with a four year old.

"I'm sure the mud pies would be as good in La Push as in Forks but good luck to them. And have a great day yourself; be safe though, there might be a storm later."

Quil seemed surprised. "Are you sure about that? I've checked the weather reports and there was no hint of anything like that, it's been predicted that we'll have clear weather and a sunny day."

I snorted. "I am seventy-seven years old Quil. I do not need a weatherman to tell me what is and isn't going to happen around here. I can smell a storm coming long before it does and even if I couldn't I happen to know that Amelia's joints are aching. She just hasn't admitted it to me in case I try to keep her home today."

"So it's an old wolves' tale then. I think I prefer science. We'll be careful but this might be the last day we can go on a picnic before the weather begins to close in for fall so I think we'll take the chance. Don't worry about Amelia; she'll have three wolf protectors with her."

"Not three, two. I need your father for a Council meeting today if that's alright. Between you and Quil II you should be able to handle a bunch of women and children. I'd rather have your job than mine today."

"I don't doubt it" Quil chuckled. "Spare me the La Push politics; I'm only interested in family, friends and being a wolf."

I found my sweetheart, who had been chatting animatedly to Joy and dandling baby Quil on her knee. I raised her to her feet so that I might say goodbye to her for the day, wrapped her in a light, but loving hug and kissed the top of her head as I liked to do.

"Bye for now my dear. Have a great day out, and I'll see you tonight. Love you."

"Love you too darling. I'm sure the Council meeting will go well, and I'll be thinking of you. If I'm late home there's some food in the fridge for you."

She turned and headed for the door, followed by Four and his family. After they'd left, I closed the door and prepared to start my working day.

As Amelia had said I had tribal business to attend to. Things in La Push had been difficult ever since Tiffany Call showed up the year before last with a pregnant belly and a score to settle with Levi Uley.

I could not believe he'd been so stupid. Sure he, like me, was an old man trapped in a young man's body and yes that made life with an ageing wife occasionally difficult, but the marriage vows made no mention of relieving your urges on a young stranger when your wife couldn't or wouldn't oblige you.

No doubt he saw me as a bore; I certainly saw him as a playboy. But even given his philandering ways, he could have prevented the consequences that followed if he'd worn a rubber for God's sake.

In due course Tiffany had given birth to a child who was clearly part Quileute; the tribe knew she would not be living here if he wasn't. But Levi never openly acknowledged paternity and Tiffany when asked would never volunteer the information.

I wasn't sure why that was but at a guess, once she had come here and become part of the community, she had found out how old Levi was and that had embarrassed her too much for her to ever admit to sleeping with him. And he was a married man with an elderly wife; it wouldn't do much for her reputation if what she'd done was known.

We wolves had read it in Levi's mind of course; but it wasn't our place to spill their secrets to the rest of the tribe. Embry (where did she get that name from?) would only know his true paternity if his mother allowed him to be told. Until and unless he phased of course, and read it in his father's mind.

Tiffany was a difficult customer, always wanting more to be done and never being very pleasant about it. As a Makah it was hard for her to fit in here, and she had found it a struggle financially. I had prevailed upon Levi to secretly give her a little money, and the tribe did what it could, but she worked part time as well to make ends meet.

Embry was a dear little fellow, a few months younger than Jake. There were other wolf babies born that year; Quil Ateara V of course, Jared Cameron and Paul Lahote. I had my pack, even if Embry didn't end up joining it, and as Sue Clearwater was pregnant again, perhaps there'd be another boy there too.

I called Three to make sure he'd be there with the rest of the Council, and set off for the meeting.

**AmeliaPOV**

I was so looking forward to this picnic. As I'd gotten older it was harder for me to be out and about much, my joints ached and I found it difficult to walk. But there were times when looking at the four walls of the house I'd shared with Ephraim, for fifty years, drove me mad.

So when the invitation to go out for the day with Quil and his family came, I jumped at it. I didn't care about the weather, and I wasn't too upset that Ephraim couldn't go. Sometimes it was nice to have a day off from the job of being Mrs. Ephraim Black.

We assembled at Quil and Molly's house. Just after I arrived Quil left to go to the meeting with Ephraim and the Council; saying goodbye to his wife and imprint with a fervor that was as endearing as it was embarrassing to witness. My love for Ephraim and his for me was deep and enduring, but to see the way that Quil looked at Molly, his adoration plain, I was struck again by the depth of their bond.

If I lost Ephraim or him me, I was sure it would be devastating. But I was equally sure that if Quil lost Molly he wouldn't want to live. I'd asked about that once; I wanted to know what happened when a wolf lost his imprint. Nobody really knew because imprints were rare and no wolf had lost one in living memory; but Ephraim privately admitted he thought it would be the death of Quil if anything happened to Molly.

Well, Molly wasn't my age and so the issue didn't arise. And if Quil gave up phasing they could age together. I held fast to my belief that the Cullens would leave one day and our men could give up their burden; I just didn't talk about it anymore as I knew Ephraim disagreed with me.

I looked around me; here were the products of a family tree that had started way back in the early years of the century, when my parents, Quil I and Ohle, had brought forth my brother and me. My descendants were Clearwaters, but my brother's were Atearas, Blacks and Wildes.

Only Three was missing; Two, Four and Five were all here, as were Lucy, Molly, Joy and me. With Embry Call taking Jake's place we were a party of eight. I'd brought food and so had the other women; all that was left to do was to decide upon the place where we were to go. And I for one was not up for anything that involved walking.

There were mutterings over on the other side of the room where the men were. I piped up "Where are we going today? If I might be so bold I really don't want to have to walk much; I'm not getting any younger you know."

My brother guffawed. "You're about the same age as me Melly, what's the problem? I'm as fit as a fiddle."

"As you well know, you're a wolf and I'm not." I countered. "So enough of the teasing brother mine, do your sister a favor and take me someplace where my knees won't hurt."

"Would you like to go boating Aunty Amelia?" Four offered.

It sounded like a good idea until I remembered Ephraim's comments about the weather.

"Will the weather hold?" I asked him, concerned.

He rolled his eyes. "You really need to get out more Aunty, and stop listening to that husband of yours. He's just a worrywart, there's nothing that's going to happen today, I'm sure of it. And I have hired a boat for the day so that's an end of it. We're going to go past Destruction Island, look at the seals and seabirds as we pass, and then picnic on Ruby Beach."

It sounded wonderful; I'd heard about the island, home to a lighthouse and teeming with wildlife, but I had never been there.

"Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go." I made my way slowly to the door; my knees really were giving me trouble today. Four saw me struggling and helped me on my way. Half an hour later we were on the water.

We had a pleasant trip south to Destruction Island, chatting amongst ourselves as Four piloted the craft just a few miles offshore and parallel to the coastline. I passed around the cookies I'd made, and Molly did the same with her cupcakes.

She was famous around La Push for her cupcakes, which she made in all kinds of flavors. I liked the chocolate ones but her vanilla and red velvet ones were amazing too, and she did the best frosting on the Rez. I made a mental note to take some back for Ephraim if there were any left at the end of the day.

Towards lunchtime we arrived at the island. We couldn't go ashore but Four's plan was to slow the boat down and then do a circuit of the island, taking in the sights of the birds and animals. I loved watching the seals and sea lions, and even saw an enormous wild rabbit. I had no idea how much it might weigh, twenty pounds at least I guessed, and wished that I could capture one for the table.

It wasn't that I disliked fish and the occasional bit of meat that we had to eat, but a change of diet now and then was nice. And rabbit was very tasty.

Four brought the boat into shore on Ruby Beach so that we could eat our lunch. Molly, Lucy and I put out blankets for everyone to sit on and set out the food. Joy disappeared for a few minutes so that she might take care of little Quil and his friend, who were both no more than a couple of years old.

I opened the picnic basket and handed everyone a glass. There was homemade lemonade and root beer for everyone to drink; I didn't hold with that Coca-Cola stuff, it was bad for your teeth.

After we'd all eaten our fill I turned to Four. "How long are you planning on staying here on the beach? Do we need to set off for home yet?"

He stood up, dusted the crumbs off his lap and stared out to sea. "I think we should be fine if we leave in the next half hour or so. So let's pack up the picnic things, have a bit of a walk along the beach and head home."

The walk took a little bit longer than we'd planned; curse my infirmity and the slowness it brought. But eventually we made it back to the boat and set off for the trip home. We could have just tracked along the coastline until we were back to the marina, but little Quil and Embry were keen to see the animals again so we decided to go back around Destruction Island for one last viewing before we left.

As the boat rounded to the far side of the island a strong wind sprang up and started to pitch it around in the water. Waves began to whip up, foamy whitecaps appearing and chopping up the sea, which had been as smooth as glass. I tilted my head and looked up into the sky; there was now a thick bank of clouds rolling in, obscuring the sun.

The clouds were a steel grey color; dark and threatening. There was a distant rumble of thunder and flashes on the horizon; a storm was brewing and headed our way. We were caught; we couldn't attempt landfall on the rocks at the island, and we might not make it back to shore before the storm hit.

Quil finally decided to try to finish rounding the island as quickly and safely as possible and then head for the nearest beach on the mainland. It would be a close run thing, but he was sure we'd make it.

Joy wrapped up the little ones in the picnic blankets and found some cover for them. I stayed outside; there wasn't enough room for everyone to do the same and, storm or no storm, I liked the smell of the sea air.

We picked our way carefully around the western side of the island, and were almost clear of it to the north when a rogue wave came out of nowhere it seemed. It pitched the boat headlong onto some rocks that were a little ways offshore of the island and barely submerged.

We had run aground, and the violence of it pitched everyone into the water surrounding the rocks, where the waves that were being whipped to a frenzy by the storm tossed us around in the growing darkness.

Quil had been at the wheel and hit his head; he lost consciousness in the water for a moment and was held above the water by his father until he came to. I was holding onto a piece of flotsam, trying to tread water and see where everyone was, but I couldn't account for everyone; Joy was missing and so were the children.

I spotted Molly a few feet away; she was having some difficulty staying afloat too. She was holding her own at least for now though. But Joy and the children must have gone under.

"Quil!" I yelled. "Where are the children? Where's Joy?"

He was groggy, but after a few moments seemed to understand what I was saying and began to look around, same as I was. He dived underwater and I waited, hoping against hope that he could find them. His grandfather did the same, checking an area further away from us.

Minutes later Four emerged, his arm around his wife's waist and another holding his son. Shortly afterwards Embry surfaced in the arms of Two. They were all coughing and spluttering, having taken in some sea water when they fell in. What to do? Destruction Island was rocky and the sea lions might not be too friendly; but we were a couple of miles from shore, and there were two wolves to save six humans.

He hesitated, unsure of what to do. I set him straight. "Take Joy, Five and Embry to shore now. Come back for us if you can."

He argued with me. "But Aunt Amelia, what about you? What about Mom?"

"If it is God's will that we be rescued we will be. But we are older, we've had full lives. You must put your wife and the children first."

Molly answered him too. "Go, son. Amelia is right, they're the future and you must protect them."

Quil released his hold for a moment, launched himself a few feet away, and phased. Swimming back to the group he jerked his head, indicating to Joy that she was to climb on his back. He grabbed Quil's clothes with his teeth, tossing him up with his mother. Then he swam over to Embry, picked him up and struck out for shore. Whether he found a landfall on the island, or had to keep going back to the beach, it would be an exhausting swim; but I hoped that he'd manage it, he was a wolf after all.

My brother was nearby with Lucy. She wasn't a strong swimmer and had gone down a couple of times before he'd been able to get to her. Now she was safe but as he held her, treading water, bobbing up and down as the waves kept pounding us, he was losing his grip.

There were three of us women and one of him. One was his wife, one his sister and one his daughter-in-law. The despair in his face hardened my resolve.

"Go, brother. Take Lucy to the nearest land you can find. And then come back for us. Maybe Four will be back by then and maybe he won't; but we can wait a bit longer I think."

He found a piece of driftwood, and tossed it to Molly to help her stay afloat a bit longer. And then he tucked Lucy under his arm and began to swim for shore. I supposed that he would only phase if he found it too hard to swim as a human; he needed to be able to comfort Lucy as he went.

My legs were getting tired and so were my arms; and my dress was clinging to me and weighing me down. My shoes were heavy in the water so I bent down and unlaced them, throwing them away. As bad as I felt I said nothing; nobody was going to die because of my selfishness. If I didn't make it through then maybe my darling would be spared the pain of seeing me grow ever older and die in my bed. This was quicker, cleaner; like sinking into the bath.

I called out to Molly. "Are you okay?"

She sighed heavily, and in between gasps for breath, ground out "I don't know Aunty. I'm not Quileute; as a child I never spent much time swimming and I'm not good at it. I don't know how much longer I can hang on..."

In the distance, I heard a wolf howl. Maybe Four had made it to shore, maybe my brother had. There was a chance, however small, that we might be rescued. I clung onto it with all my might.

**EphraimPOV**

The meeting was going well I thought. Tiffany had many grievances; some justified, some less so, but we were sorting them out, one by one.

And then I heard a wolf howl. It was Bill I thought, or maybe Peter; they were patrolling together. I ended the meeting, and then Levi, Quil and me excused ourselves, and made for the forest, phasing on the fly under cover of the trees.

What we found in the pack mind chilled us to the bone. There'd been a shipwreck; Four was swimming to shore carrying Joy and the two children, and was planning to make a trip back out to get the others once he'd taken them to safety.

I needed no help to work out who those would be; Amelia would have sent him on, sacrificing herself in her stupid belief that her life was over. Molly would have done the same. The three of us were running, our paws pounding the underbrush of the forest, no attempt being made by any of us at either concealment or quiet.

Why had they taken a boat? And why go so far as Destruction Island? Was Quil mad? I'd warned them about the weather; sometimes science told you less than instinct did.

Billy was in Forks, too far away to hear us. Thank God Jake had not gone on the trip; that was one favor I owed Charlie Swan. But one by one other minds popped in as the howls reverberated around the Rez. I could see in Four's mind that he was tiring, almost exhausted, but planned to try to make a second trip.

My mind was jumbled, but somehow I managed to sort out who was to stay, who was to leave, and who was to contact Carlisle Bloody Cullen. Lives were at risk, and we'd need a doctor and an ambulance or three. I asked Bill to do the latter; he wasn't keen, but it had to be a Black and for once it wouldn't be me.

Sometime later, probably minutes but seeming like hours, we emerged from the forest near Ruby Beach. Joy was there with the children, catching her breath and trying to keep them warm. Quil was with her, about to return to the surf to look for the others but too spent to attempt it and too wet to help his family. Levi stayed with them, settling down on his haunches and allowing the three of them to nestle in his fur.

Quil and I made for the surf, diving in and paddling out to the island still in our wolf forms. My wife was out there and so was his, but she was his imprint too. I suppressed a shudder; the consequences of losing an imprint were too terrible to contemplate.

I could see heads bobbing above the water in the distance...

**AmeliaPOV**

This was it. We'd waited to be rescued but the seas were just too choppy and it took both Quils too long to take the others to safety. I'd tried to hang on but it was just too hard.

Molly was the same; I used the last of my strength to paddle over to her and take her hand. We said a prayer of thanks for the lives we'd had, asked that our loved ones be taken care of and then let go of each other.

Just before we sank beneath the waves I heard a howl, and then another; spine chilling howls that spoke of heartbreak and loss. But I was halfway to the next world; this world did not concern me anymore. I shut my mind to the sounds of anything but the water and the wind and disappeared into the briny depths...

**EphraimPOV**

Halfway to the island I saw the heads again. They were Amelia and Molly, and they were fading fast, sinking down when a wave hit and then struggling to the surface again. Each time they did it took longer than the time before.

We redoubled our efforts to make it there on time to save them but as we approached we saw them sink beneath the waves one more time, and then fail to resurface. I howled, and so did Quil, and then we started each of us to dive underwater trying to find our sweethearts.

Quil found Molly first, pulling her to the surface, her collar in his teeth. He phased back, to try to revive her, but it was no use. She was gone.

I kept diving, searching and hoping to still find Amelia. I finally found her wedged beneath a rock, and dragged her out from beneath it, surfacing a minute or so later. She was blue, and not breathing. Like Quil, I phased back to give her mouth-to-mouth but she didn't respond.

Our eyes met, and each saw in the other's the despair that comes from the loss of a mate. I was angry at Amelia, for not trying harder, not holding on longer, even though she was ageing and tired and sore. But she was my wife, not my imprint; I'd grieve for her, but her loss would not take my life too.

What would happen to Quil? I looked at him more closely; narrowing my eyes and shaking my head. No; he did not have permission to drown himself, I would not allow it.

"Let me go Ephraim, you know I can't live without her."

"No, Quil. We will get you through this. It is enough that Quil has lost his mother, don't make him lose his father as well. I forbid you to take your own life, and if you attempt it I will Alpha order you not to."

Quil's head dropped, he had no will to either resist me or do anything much at all. As I tried to decide what to do next I heard an engine; it was the Coastguard come to save the day. Bill must have contacted them.

They threw us out some rings, we placed our dead wives in them and watched as they were lifted into the boat. We knew we were expected to follow suit, but that would be awkward; we were naked.

We began to climb into the boat, and as our state of undress was seen, an officer threw each of us a towel. They offered us silver wraps to keep us warm but we refused them. I sat on one side of the boat clutching Amelia to me; and Quil did the same with Molly. Tears rolled down our cheeks and we were silent for the trip back to La Push.

On the dock waiting for us were Bill, Billy, the rest of the Pack (except those patrolling) and Carlisle Cullen. I stood up, and carried my wife off the boat. Past the crowd on the shore, past the ambulances, and past the good doctor, back to our home.

I could never mention her by name again; it was a tradition I hated but had to uphold. We would follow the tribal protocols and bury our women properly, and then try to get on with our lives.

This time, I wouldn't run to Canada. This time, I didn't have the energy to run to the store. My life was nowhere near over, but I wanted it to be. It would be empty, and colorless; devoid of love and companionship, consisting only of duty and work.

The life of a widowed Alpha, never to love again.


	36. Chapter 36

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**A/N: I am not a doctor, but the medical information in this chapter is as accurate as I can make it, and has been checked by my pre-reader feebes86.**

**1992**

**CarlislePOV**

I got to La Push as soon as I could, and an ambulance came with me. It was too late to save Ephraim's wife; she had drowned, as had Quil's. I would concentrate my energies on trying to save the living, and there was plenty of work to be done.

Just because Lucy and the other non-wolf victims had survived the wreck didn't mean they were out of the woods. They'd all ingested a little bit of seawater when the boat capsized, the difference between them would be how they reacted to it.

I had no concerns about the wolves, at least as far as their physical health was concerned; and the younger family members were healthy enough to get through this.

No, my main fear was for Lucy's welfare. She'd been around as Quil II's wife and mate almost since the time of the treaty signing. She was a mother and a grandmother, in her late seventies, and human. She had pre-existing medical conditions, including heart disease, and this was going to make it harder for her to recover.

I admitted her to hospital, against the protests of some of the Quileute, and did my best to try to save her. The seawater, being more salty than her bodily fluids, was throwing her electrolytes out of balance and damaging her lungs; making it harder for her to breathe.

I had feared that this might happen, and it was probably a relief that it had not happened to more victims. The others, Joy and the two children, were admitted overnight for observation and then sent home. The two wolves declined treatment, as I expected.

Her husband sat by her bedside, not leaving it even to go to the funerals of his sister and daughter-in-law. If devotion alone could produce a miracle, Lucy Ateara would be walking out of this hospital. Time would tell, but I wasn't hopeful.

**BillPOV**

Mom was gone, and Dad was bereft. The older generation on the Rez always said that my mother was the love of Dad's life, and perhaps she was, but they'd had very little time together whereas Dad and Mom had been married for over fifty years.

For a marriage that began as a means for Dad to care for his friend's widow, their relationship had strengthened and deepened over time to be a true partnership. Their love might not have been the all-consuming passion of their first marriages, but it was real nevertheless.

Neither could imagine life without the other, but only one was virtually immortal. They were always going to be separated by death, and now they had been. And in the absence of a functioning Alpha, it was left to his Beta, Levi, and I to pick up the pieces.

The position of Alpha was hereditary of course; had the Alpha retired or died before now I would have taken over from him. So I felt it was my duty to step up to the plate as it were and relieve his burden, and I needed all the help I could get.

There were three or four things all happening at once. There were shipwreck victims in the hospital, and maybe not all of them would live. There were funerals to organize for Mom and my cousin. And there were two widowers on the Rez; one who was grieving but who, I thought, with help would get through this.

The other, had already tried to kill himself once and it was entirely possible that he might do it again. Dad had threatened an Alpha order to prevent it, but hadn't actually issued one, and wasn't really in the right frame of mind to do it now.

Some things needed to be done, and soon. Without his helpmate, Dad would not take care of himself properly, I was sure of that. I'd been to see him, and done as much as I could with him, but it wasn't enough so I decided to go and have a word to my daughters Nora, Jennie and Emmie.

I found them, with their mother, drinking tea and reminiscing about Mom, tears in their eyes. I went around the room, hugging and kissing them in turn; then stood beside my Judy, an arm slipped around her waist. My daughters rolled their eyes, but since out of all four of them only Connie was married, they had until now, no choice but to put up with us.

I cleared my throat and started on my proposal. "I have something I'd like to talk to you all about. I'm really worried about Dad; he's been hit hard and I'm afraid he won't look after himself properly. So I wondered whether some or all of you might be able to help him with that."

Jennie piped up. Since her twin had married Kevin Littlesea she had been at a loose end. "I'd like to help Granddad. What can I do?"

The others murmured their willingness to help as well.

"I was thinking that maybe you could take turns in going over there and cooking and cleaning for him; or maybe it might be better for one of you to move in for a while. I don't believe that he will take this as badly as Quil has, but he isn't going to want to look after himself or the house much."

The girls put their heads together; eventually Nora, the eldest, spoke up.

"I'll move in, and take care of his daily needs. Jennie is going to shop for him and Emmie will visit and try to spend time with him, cheer him up, since she's the favorite. When I can't be there or need a break, one of those two will take over until I get back."

I turned to my wife. She nodded, and with that I agreed to the plan. "Pack some bags then Nora; and go to your Granddad's. Your Mom will go with you to explain to him what's happening; and that means I can go and deal with Quil. He has lost an imprint, and I'm very worried about him."

"Is he going to die too?" Judy asked me, concerned. She had known Quil all her life, as had I.

"Not if I can help it" I replied, determined. I was more than willing to bear the burden; I just hoped that it would not be mine for long.

I went in search of Levi and Billy. I found them both in the Council room, talking earnestly about the events of the past day or so.

Billy looked up. "Dad, I hadn't expected to see you here. I thought you were with Granddad."

Things were moving quickly. "I was; I needed to help him with Mom. He carried her out of the water and just kept going; I had to go and see where he went. But I've persuaded him now to let me deal with the arrangements, so I've taken her and made those. The last time I saw him he was sitting in his chair at home."

"Is he going to be okay? I've seen in Levi and Quil's minds what he was like the last time and I don't want that to happen again".

"I think so. There's no doubt he feels this keenly, but it seems a quieter kind of grief than last time. He's been weeping, I could see that, and to be honest I felt as though I was intruding if I stayed there longer than I needed to."

Levi'd had a front row seat to the loss of my mother, and for once he shed his cynicism, confirming my impressions. "I think you're right Bill. Your father's love for your mother was so strong it was almost like an imprint, and she was snatched away from him so young, and so suddenly. He will take this hard, but he'll survive it. If I were you though, I'd send someone around there to take care of him; he won't look after himself too well."

I replied "Already taken care of. I've spoken to my girls, the three unmarried ones anyway, and Nora is going to live there with him for a time. The other two will do other things for him and relieve her when they can. I think we'll be okay; it's Quil I'm worried about."

"Has any member of the tribe ever lost an imprint before? I'm not aware of one." Billy was curious.

"Not in living memory, don't forget imprints are quite rare. But as you know when the Third Wife of Taha Aki died, he remained in wolf form beside her for three days, then vanished into the forest and was never seen or heard from again. So I'm in no doubt that Quil is in grave danger of losing his life over this."

"Who is with him?" Levi asked.

"I don't know. His father is at the hospital with Lucy, and Four may be there also with his family. They were all badly affected by being in the water and would need to be cleared by a doctor before they could come home. I really think that it is going to be up to us, and the rest of the Pack, to deal with this. Once we have found him he should not be left alone for any reason until he has recovered enough to move on with his life."

Billy looked thoughtful for a moment. "Is he likely to be in wolf form do you think?"

"It's a possibility I suppose. But don't we have someone on patrol?"

"I'm not sure. In the commotion everyone came in to see what the emergency was. Maybe nobody went back on patrol; it was supposed to be the two Quils going on duty next after being given the day off."

That would explain why there'd been no howling. I turned to Levi. "Find Charles and Josh and ask them to go on patrol. You have five wolf pack members in your family Levi; do you think they could bear the burden of patrolling for a few days? I wouldn't ask except that the Atearas, Blacks and Clearwaters have between them lost a mother, wife, sister or grandmother today."

Levi could be hard to deal with but this time he just shrugged and said "Yes, it's no problem."

He seemed quieter than usual, and then I remembered that his son Embry had been involved, but that as he hadn't publicly acknowledged paternity, he was unable to go to his side. I smacked my head; was there no family on the Rez this tragedy hadn't touched?

"I'm sorry about Embry, Levi, and I know you must be worried about him. If you need to go to see him then please do."

He sighed. "I can't. Tiffany has insisted that I not come forward; she likes our private arrangement and has found it hard to come to terms with the fact that I am old enough to be her grandfather. So naturally I must respect her wishes. I look at it this way; he'll find out about me soon enough."

"Then why don't we do the only thing any of us can do and try to save another life. I'll phase, and see if he is in his wolf form. If he is, I'll remain that way and begin to run to wherever it is that he's taken himself; do the same and follow me. If he's not in his wolf form we'll need to mount a search party."

We all ran towards the forest, and once I'd reached a clearing beyond the treeline I phased. There he was, lying in a part of the forest I recognized, curled around the body of his dead mate and snarling at any creature that approached. He seemed to be making no effort to move, or to fend for himself; I feared that without our intervention he'd starve or die of thirst.

I took off in his direction; Billy and Levi quickly phasing and following me. After running together for about twenty minutes or so, we came to the clearing where he lay. He heard us approach and bristled; his fur standing on end and his teeth bared.

I tried to speak to him inside his mind. _"Quil. This is Bill; your old friend. We are not here to try to harm you or your mate; but you must know that you can't remain here with her. Quileute traditions must be observed; she must be given a proper funeral and burial. And you need to come back to us."_

Levi chimed in; trying to use his experience from the time before. We wolves never did anything by half measures; whether it be fighting, loving or mourning.

"_Quil. Your mother is still very ill. Your father is with her. Your son almost lost his family too; and the Atearas have lost an aunt as well as a mother. I know you've lost your imprint and you want to die; but you can't, you have too much to live for. Is this what your wife would want for you? Don't be a coward; face up to the future."_

Quil growled; baring his teeth again, his yellow eyes wild. Trust Levi to stir him up, but maybe he needed to be made to feel something. What we didn't want was for him to just lose all hope and fade away; or run off into the forest as Taha Aki had and remain a wolf for the rest of his days.

We approached a little closer; but the nearer we got to them the more hostile Quil's responses were. He covered his imprint completely with his body, surrounding her and glowering at us. Occasionally he'd bend down and place his head on her chest; or rub his snout along her face, whimpering.

She lay, her unseeing eyes facing upwards, as if gazing at the stars; stars that she would never see again. Billy disappeared for a few minutes and returned, carrying the handle of an old bucket in his mouth that he'd found, and filled with water at a nearby stream.

He approached Quil and placed it beside him; the older wolf allowing the approach but not making any move to drink from it. We watched him for some time longer but his mind was wandering; instead of conscious thoughts or plans, we were given his thoughts about his mate. Most prominent was the day of the imprint; was it really almost forty years since James' coven had been killed?

I was beginning to gain an appreciation for the job Levi had been presented with when Dad ran away. His inability to take the reins fully had contributed to how he felt now; a bit rebellious and resentful at times, unwilling to take responsibility again. He'd had the problem of how to deal with an Alpha who wanted to die; this I hoped would be easier.

Easier, because even if he was grief-stricken himself, the Alpha could somehow be made to muster the energy needed to issue one order. I would ask him to order Quil to give up the body of his wife to us and phase back so that we could care for him.

I thought to Billy and Levi. _"I hate to have to do this, but I'm going to ask the Alpha for help. I know he should be left alone but Quil will die if we leave him here. Guard him, and await our return. If you can get him to eat or drink that would be even better."_

I took off in the direction of La Push, running as quickly and as silently as I could through the forest. There was nobody around, so I ran in wolf form until I reached Dad's clothesline, phasing back and taking a pair of jeans off the line to clothe myself in.

I found my father with my daughters, eating some stew very slowly and reluctantly, but mostly just pushing it around the plate with his fork.

The chair opposite him was vacant, so I flipped it around to face the other way and straddled it, leaning over the back of it, my arms crossed. Dad looked up when he heard the chair scraping on the floor, and lifted an eyebrow, but said nothing, resuming his meal.

There was an uncomfortable silence which lasted several minutes, and although I had no idea how to broach the issue I'd come here to see him about, eventually I just decided to dive in and get it over with.

"Dad?" I ventured, gingerly.

He looked up again. "Yes, Bill?"

This wasn't going to be easy; there was a dead look in his eyes, as if everything that gave his life meaning was gone, and maybe for now it seemed to him as though it was.

"I know this is hard for you, to lose Mom so suddenly. I know how much you miss her; God knows I miss her too. She's the only mother I've ever known. But there is someone worse off than you or me, someone whose very life is at risk. Dad, Quil is suffering terribly from the loss of his imprint. He's beyond all reason at the moment, in his wolf form and guarding her body. I need you to come with me and order him to phase back and give her up for burial. After that, I'll leave you alone until you're ready to come back to us."

His body shook, and a deep sigh, which felt as though it had come from the very depths of his being, rumbled out. It was unfair to ask this of him, but there were some things nobody else could do, and this was one of them.

He thought for a moment, and then threw me a bone. "I'll do it, but on one condition. I leave this house and go to the edge of the forest; phase, issue the order, phase back, and return here. I won't go to him, there's nothing I can do."

It wasn't enough, but it was all I was going to get. I thanked him, and we rose, leaving the house through the back door. We walked together in silence into the forest, and then the Alpha shed his clothes and phased, as he'd done so many times before.

I followed suit, so that I might be able to bear witness to the exchange. Before long the deep timbre of the Alpha's voice made itself known to us in our minds.

"_**Quil. This is your Alpha. Lift your head, and look at us. I ORDER you to resume your human form, return to La Push, and give up the body of your wife and mate to us for proper Quileute funeral rites. You are not to attempt to end your life in any way. Is this clear?"**_

An exhausted and desolate Quil thought, weakly, _"I understand, Alpha, and will comply."_

His head dipped, and he quivered, the scraggy looking wolf disappearing from our minds. I felt a rush of wind beside me and turned to find the Alpha phased back, dressed and already heading back towards the house.

I was torn, but Quil's need was greater than my father's, so I picked up my jeans in my mouth and began running into the forest, fearing what I might find when I saw him.

I was right to fear. The man I found was broken; dark circles around his eyes, and the tracks of tears that had been streaming down his face mixing with the dirt on his skin from where he had been lying. If he'd spent much more time in that state he'd have begun to look completely feral.

The three of us, having resumed our human forms as well, gathered him in our arms and brought him to his feet. Levi and Billy helped him on his way back to the Rez; and I dressed, then turned my attention to his wife. She was as light as a feather; I gathered her in my arms and walked slowly and carefully back to La Push.

The funerals were held as soon as possible, in accordance with our tribal customs. Dad was composed, but somber; his face a mask behind which his grief was all-consuming. The women of the family supported him, Judy and Sarah took one arm each, and his granddaughters and great-granddaughters sat nearby or at his feet.

Jake was too little to be at the funeral, so I arranged with Charlie Swan for him to bring Bella to the Rez for one last visit with him before she went home to her mother. They went to Billy's house, and spent their time playing with toys, and making sandcastles on the beach, under the watchful eye of her proud Dad.

Billy and I, together with the Elders, conducted the ceremonies. Quil was supported by his son, his sister Doris and her husband, and his niece Jane, looking like a shell of the man he once was. Joy was still unwell from her ordeal, and stayed home with her son.

I was going to have to deal with Tiffany at some point, she was furious at what had happened to Embry, but I fobbed her off. There were more important things to worry about.

After we'd finished at the burial grounds, Dad shuffled slowly off, paying little heed to his surroundings, content to be led to Billy's house for a meal. By the time I arrived there, the women were already home and Charlie had taken Bella and left, not wanting to intrude on our grief.

Dad entered the house and sniffed the air, his eyes widening; then shook his head, as if dislodging a stray thought, and sat down to eat. I had something quickly, but didn't stay, as I wanted to go back to the cemetery. I was worried about Quil.

After the funerals ended, he had spurned the help of his family, sending them on their way, saying that he wanted to be alone. They had respected his wishes and left, but one or two of them had looked back over their shoulders, uncertain that they were doing the right thing.

I approached the burial grounds quietly, melting into the trees so that I might see what Quil was doing. They were right to be worried. Once he was sure he was alone, he threw himself on the mound covering his wife's freshly dug grave and wailed, sobbing bitterly for some time until finally he shivered, and coughed, curling up and lying quietly in the dirt. I slipped away quietly; I was going to need help, I couldn't deal with this on my own.

**CarlislePOV**

The funerals of the drowning victims had been held; or so I'd heard. My job had been to try to prevent the need for a third, but I was losing the battle.

Lucy was finding it harder and harder to breathe; her color wasn't good and the strain of having to fight for each breath was beginning to tell. She was developing pneumonia, and she was too old and weak to recover from that.

I needed to speak to a family member, but the shipwreck had gutted the Ateara family, and I honestly didn't know who to talk to. Her husband sat by her bedside where he had remained, almost without a break, since the wreck.

Just when I was about to give up and place a call to the Tribal Council, Peter Clearwater came into the hospital. He seemed tired, as though he hadn't slept for days, and maybe he hadn't. After all he'd lost his mother. But Lucy was his aunt as far as I knew, so a visit wasn't unexpected.

His eyes met mine, and narrowed; his instinctive response to the presence of a vampire. I returned his glare with a smile, and greeted him.

"Hello Peter, that's right isn't it? I was wondering if I could have a word with you before you go to see Lucy."

"What do you want?" he snapped.

"I need to talk to a family member about Lucy, and I don't want to trouble her husband and children with it."

"Fine then, spit it out."

"She's dying Peter. I've tried to save her but the seawater has affected her too badly. I'd like you to make arrangements for her family and friends to visit her one last time; or if you prefer we can discharge her from here and send her home to La Push for her last days."

He seemed shocked; perhaps the seriousness of her condition was not known to the tribe at this point. It was another blow for them, but one they couldn't avoid.

"I'll pass the message on and someone will contact you. Now if you'll excuse me I'd like to see my Aunt and Uncle."

I showed him into the room, and then left them together, giving instructions that they were not to be disturbed until the next round of monitoring was due. And then I retired to my office, because for the first time in a long time I really needed to be alone.

I'd failed yet again, and the taste of it was bitter.

**BillPOV**

I rounded up Billy, Harry and Josh Uley, some strong young wolves. Josh had just come off patrol, and was a little tired, but he agreed to help. Four I left to be with his wife and child; he had enough to deal with. News had filtered through that Lucy was dying, and this was yet another tragedy for their family, and our tribe.

We found Quil where I'd left him, prostrate on the grave of his late wife, sleeping fitfully. He wasn't crying anymore, he was worn out from the effort of it. Clutched in his hand and covering his nose was a piece of material; looking more closely it was a scarf that had belonged to her.

How best to deal with this? I had no idea. Finally, after some time spent watching Quil's heartbreak play out in front of us, Billy broke the silence.

"I'm sure we can all agree that we mustn't leave him here; he'll die if we do and I'm sure that even if that's not his intention, he won't care one way or the other. The Alpha order forbade him to kill himself, but how do you order someone not to fade away? And I think the Ateara family has enough to deal with at the moment. We need to come up with something, some way he can be cared for."

Harry's reply was as unexpected as it was swift. "My wife Sue's a nurse, we can care for him for a while until his family can take over, and make sure he's not left alone. It's the only way."

We shook hands on it, and then made our way over to the gravesite. Quil tried to resist us, but he was weakened by his grief and lack of nourishment. I was the largest wolf here, so I quickly phased and settled on my haunches.

The other three carefully transferred Quil onto my back; he was heavy, but I could manage. I stood slowly, and began to make my way to the Clearwater house. The other three accompanied me, one in front to clear the way, and the other two beside me, steadying Quil on my back.

Sometime later we arrived at our destination; I gave up my burden to the capable hands of Harry and Sue, and then we went our separate ways. I wanted to be home, to put some space between myself and the sadness that hung over the Rez like a shroud; I ran as fast as I could, still in my wolf form, unheeding of anyone who might be about. Near the back door I became Bill Black again, clothed myself, and went inside, into the loving arms of my sweetheart. Thank God she was home and waiting for me; I would never take that for granted again.

**A/N: It is now December, and the holiday season is here. I am going on a month's leave from my job starting this Friday, and will be away from home for the first week of that. My betas will also have commitments during this time. So my usual weekly posting schedule will need to be suspended for a while, until the New Year; although if anything is written during that time and can be posted, it will be. On the plus side, I am hoping to catch up on some of my reading. Best wishes to all of my readers for a safe and happy festive season. :-)**


	37. Chapter 37

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**A/N: I apologize for the delay in resuming posting of this story. Shortly after posting the last chapter I learned that I needed to have surgery and my recovery from that took some time. As far as future chapters are concerned, I intend to post as soon as I have a chapter ready, rather than on a given day as has been my practice until now. The story is complex, and each chapter from now on will be more difficult to write. Also one of my betas has a project in RL that is taking up most of her time. What I can say is that the story will be finished.**

**1992**

**Charlie POV**

I hated to admit it, but it was becoming harder for me to have Bella come and visit me in Forks. Billy and Harry were my dear friends, but they belonged to a world that I'd never inhabit; the world of the supernatural.

Once Bella was of school age, she'd have less time to spend with me. She was an observant little thing, and I didn't need to run the gauntlet of a call from Renee if and when she encountered the half-vampires in town. She'd be sure to go home to California, regaling her mother with stories of who and what she'd seen.

The La Push shipwreck had marred Bella's visit, although it did give her some extra time to spend with Jacob Black. I'd also carefully shielded her from the strange things that happened on the Rez in the wake of it.

Then I'd taken her to Seattle, hugged her to me for as long as I could, and handed her over to the care of the stewardess who was going to look after her during the flight. She cried a lot, dabbing away her tears with a handkerchief, and I cried a little too; I hated saying goodbye knowing that I wouldn't see her again for months.

Before she boarded the plane she took her hanky back out of her pocket, wet with her tears as it was, and handed it to me.

"Here Daddy, keep this. It will remind you of me when I'm not here."

Such a sweet and thoughtful child; at least a handkerchief was easier for me to carry than the teddy bear she'd tried to give me before we left Forks. It was white, and embroidered with a white letter "B" but otherwise plain. Bella was not one for fancy things.

As I watched her disappear around the corner into the boarding area, I thought about waiting for the plane to leave but in the end I shrugged and set off for the car park. Why make things harder than they already were.

By the time I was back out on the road, I could hear the roar of an aircraft passing overhead and wondered if that was Bella's plane or not. Dismissing the thought, I put the radio on and let the miles and hours fall away.

On the way home, I stopped to pick up some beer. Billy was coming over to watch the game with me this afternoon; I needed a distraction, a way to fill the hours now that she had left.

The house looked empty when I returned to it, and I felt the cloak of my lonely life settling back over me as I pulled the car up in the driveway. It wasn't a good day to be alone, so I was grateful that I wasn't going to be.

About half an hour later Billy arrived, with his father Bill and grandfather in tow. I wasn't expecting to see them, but perhaps they needed or were being given a distraction as well. After all the pall of grief that hung over the Rez, that I'd seen the evidence of on the day of the funerals, was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Ephraim seemed shrunken somehow. He was by far the tallest man I had ever seen, but he walked not as the confident Chief of my experience. Instead his shoulders were slouched, his head bowed and he walked with a slow shuffling gait.

I lost my awe of him for a moment, and put my arm around him, hugging him and offering my condolences. As I released him and stood back, tears rolled down his cheeks.

I took my handkerchief, the one that Bella had given me, and offered it to him. His response to that surprised me greatly; his nose twitched, and his eyes suddenly sparked to life. I was pleased that he'd responded in some way; but then he covered his nose with it, as if to wipe away the tracks of his tears, and inhaled deeply.

He smiled and then turned to me and said, "Where did you get this? The scent of this handkerchief, it's so beautiful."

I laughed and replied, "It's only Bella's. She likes to scent her handkerchiefs with something her mother buys for her; I'm not sure what it is."

Ephraim thought for a moment. Then his next words floored me. "Would you mind if I kept it? I know this seems funny but the scent of this handkerchief soothes me in some way. I haven't smelled anything this good since Bill's mother died."

It was a strange request, but I gave in to it. As much as I would have liked to keep the hanky, I had other reminders of Bella in the house; her pillows, her toys and my pictures of her. This broken man seemed to find comfort in a scrap of cotton; who was I to deny him?

I looked over Ephraim's shoulder to Billy and his father, both of whom were wearing expressions of amazement, and in Bill's case, a hint of a dawning awareness of something else. I waited for an explanation of this exchange, but none was forthcoming. After an awkward silence I invited the men inside and we sat down in front of the TV, beers in hand, to watch our team win their first game in a month.

Later, as they were leaving, I took Billy aside. "What was that about, my friend?"

He looked blank. "I have no idea but I think I know who does."

We both turned towards Bill. He returned our gaze, shaking his head infinitesimally, and headed for the door. He obviously had some idea of what had gone on but wasn't going to let us in on the secret.

As for Ephraim, he had brightened considerably and by the time they were ready to leave was able to chat a little and follow our conversation without flagging. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

"You ok for fishing next weekend?" I asked Billy.

"Sure thing, and Harry's coming too. He needs a break from Quil. It's heavy going for him and Sue since Quil has no will to live."

"You could bring him if it would do any good."

"I don't think so, the last thing he needs is to be reminded of the sea. But thanks for offering. See you then."

The three of them disappeared into the night and as I headed into the kitchen to make myself a snack, the house again became the cold and lonely roof over my head that it was for most of the year. I sighed, and ate my food.

After that, things seemed to settle down around Forks and La Push for a while. The period after the shipwreck had been a fraught time, three women had died and the Rez seemed to have lost its heart. One of the losses had been Aunt Molly; more of a cousin to me than an Aunt but all of us boys had called her that as we were growing up.

Uncle Quil's heart had been broken when she lost her life and in many ways, so had his mind. I hadn't been there, but I had vaguely heard about the time he had stayed in wolf form guarding her dead body, and how he had thrown himself sobbing onto her grave.

My love for Renee, and my heartbreak when she left me, had affected me deeply; but I'd never lost the will to live. I looked at my Uncle's situation and feared for his future. If he survived in the long term, he'd never be the same again.

The Chief, Ephraim Black, had been affected almost as badly, but it seemed he was made of sterner stuff. After a mourning period of some months he picked himself up, shook himself off, and resumed his duties as the leader of his tribe.

How much help Bella's hanky had been to him, in that process, I'd never know. I liked to think that it had played some small part in his recovery. I had not seen much of him in the time following the tragedy. To him I was just the hokwát friend of his grandson and therefore someone of little consequence in his life. But Billy seemed to be more cheerful and as the months passed the Rez resumed its normal rhythms.

News eventually came through that Sue had given birth to her baby, a boy named Seth, and that was something to rejoice in after all of the heartbreak that had preceded it. I knew Harry and Sue would be happy with whatever they had, but I had hoped for their sake it was a boy, and I got my wish.

**CarlislePOV**

I was in my office, writing up some charts, when Charlie Swan showed up to talk to me. He wasn't happy at all. I welcomed him in my usually friendly way; there was no need to antagonize a member of the town's Police Department. The smile faded on my lips as he began to explain why he was there.

Josie and her peers weren't seen around much, and the sightings of them had become rarer once they had started their own families. It was a surprise for Charlie to have an encounter with Josie's children at lunchtime, when they were out shopping with their mother.

As he told it, he was heading out from the Police Station to go to the diner, when he noticed a couple of the kids walking along the street towards their car, Josie's Audi. As they were walking, a stray dog ran up to them, and nipped at their heels.

He would have only been playing, everyone knew that Forks sometimes had a problem with strays and dogs that weren't walked on a lead, but apparently the children hadn't seen it that way.

Charlie told me that he watched as they looked around, not noticing him for some reason, and then turned towards the dog, which was running around in circles, yapping and wagging its tail.

He said he kept watching, horrified, as the dog seemed to stop in its tracks. Its eyes glazed over, and before he could say or do anything, it ran out onto the road just as a pickup truck was driving past. The poor dog had no chance according to Charlie; it ran straight under the front wheels.

I'd seen similar, but much less serious things, happen at home between the children. They were wilful, and liked to have their own way in things. But the instances I'd seen had not resulted in any loss of life, human or animal, and I'd made sure that they were taught to have respect for life.

They didn't hunt; we couldn't all hunt the normal way anymore; there were too many of us. Instead, my blood bank supplied the hybrids with the majority of the blood they used, and they of course could also eat normal food. The full vampires in our family still hunted animals; if we didn't, our eyes would turn red, unlike the hybrids. Occasionally we went on our famous "camping trips" which were in reality out of town hunts in wilderness areas and large forests.

So as a family we had no expectation that the children would have so little respect for life; that they would take it for no good reason, just out of pique. Given that Josie's generation had proven to be good-natured and malleable, this was a disturbing development, and one we as a family would need to deal with immediately, to ensure it never happened again.

I could tell that Charlie had been frightened by what had happened. After some prompting by me, he reluctantly continued to describe how he had seen the children look around again, maybe for the dog's owner, but seeing nobody, had kept walking.

He shivered as he related to me his impressions of what had happened with their eyes. Their normal golden color wasn't the eye color any of their parents had. That was for Charlie creepy enough in itself, but then he saw them glow with an unearthly cast when they were sending the dog to its death.

He was here to get my explanation for all this, and I felt inadequate to the task. More to the point, I didn't think that this turn of events was something I wanted any of the humans to know about.

I had entertained hopes of maybe one day being able to enroll the children in school, but obviously I was going to have to wait a while before doing that. The first order of business would be to teach them how to behave, and only then could they be allowed to mix with other children.

As for Charlie, although he was discreet, I couldn't afford to take the risk that he might disclose what he'd seen to his colleagues or his friends in La Push. I had not changed my mind about leaving Forks, and I didn't need anyone to find a reason to send us away.

I offered him some tea, stalling for time. He laughed and politely declined, but said he'd like some coffee if I was offering. I buzzed my assistant, and while I was waiting for the coffee to be delivered to us, engaged Charlie in some small talk.

He talked about Bella, about how she'd gone home, and how much he missed her. I got the feeling that there was something else about her visit that he was toying with idea of telling me, but he ended up not talking about it. Since Edward wasn't here, and since I had no powers other than my charm for getting answers, I let it slide.

Bella was a young child, her visits to her father weren't any of my business and they could hardly be of any significance to us. No, my main order of business would be with her father.

The coffee for Charlie arrived, and as he drank it we continued to make small talk about Forks in general. Gradually, as his responses reminded me how whip smart he was, it became clear to me that there was only one thing I could do about this issue. Because although it was only a dog that had been harmed, that was the thin end of the wedge. A human might be next, and I needed time to come to grips with the problem without interference from outside the family.

I had to dazzle him; make him forget that any of this had ever happened, and then come up with some other reason for him to be here once I'd finished. Although the Police were often at the hospital to talk to injured accident victims and criminals, there weren't any here at the moment.

I'd have to rely on my old standby.

I changed the register and tone of my voice, lulling Charlie into a false sense of security. Then I concentrated my full attention on him, asking him questions about what he had told me and putting words into his mouth.

I began by asking him again what he'd come to see me about.

"Charlie," I said. "What was it that brought you here this afternoon again?"

He shook his head and replied, "A dog, I came to see you about a dog, one that was run over when one of your family's young children did something to it."

I concentrated harder, looking deep into his eyes, and spoke again. "Charlie, are you sure? Tell me again, what was the reason you came here?"

He blinked, and met my gaze, seeming to have trouble collecting his thoughts. "I came to see you about a dog that was run over...dammit, why would I need to tell you about that?"

My eyes bored into his with renewed intensity, and he recoiled a little from me. I repeated, "I'm not sure I understand why you've come here this afternoon."

He stared at me, confused and incredulous. "I can't remember why I'm here, it's the darndest thing. Not like I had anything I needed to tell you, last thing I remember is heading out to get a bite to eat."

I smiled my most brilliant and engaging smile, and opened a drawer of my desk, producing a checkbook and beginning to write.

"I think you were here to get a donation for the Police Department's fundraising drive that's on next month. You came to the right place."

I signed the check and handed it to him, made out to the Department in the sum of ten thousand dollars. He smiled broadly, folded the check, and placed it in his pocket.

"I'll make sure this gets to the right people. Thank you Carlisle; I don't know how I got the idea to come and see you, but your support is appreciated. We can help out a lot of young kids with this money."

"Think nothing of it Charlie. It was my pleasure, believe you me."

He turned to leave, pausing to pass on his best wishes to Esme, and then showed himself out. I put my head on my desk, feeling more than a little tired, and unclean.

I had a great deal invested in my image of myself as Carlisle Cullen, the compassionate vampire, living and working among the human population and swearing to do no harm to them. Times like this shook that self-belief more than a little.

I'd go home, confess my sins to Esme, and take whatever comfort she had to offer. Edward of course would pick the whole thing out of my head and Jasper would sense my torment, but I'd deal with them and the family later.

We'd all need to sit down and talk. Talk about how to control these children and how to show them the difference between right and wrong. They didn't have the right to decide who, or what, lived and died, and especially not for such a stupid reason.

I didn't want to go off half cocked so I'd take counsel from the whole family before anything was said to the children. Maybe, since this was so minor compared to what might have happened, all was not lost. Maybe they could be reasoned with.

I clung to that hope as I finished my shift, handing in my paperwork, checking my patients one last time and heading out the door.

As I slid behind the wheel of my Mercedes, I shuddered. The strain of the past few hours found its way out of my system, and I gripped the wheel a little harder as I started the engine, backed out of my parking spot, and began to head for home.

Edward's eyebrows shot up as I walked into the living room, and Jasper looked up from the newest of his Civil War books as he assessed my emotional state and found it wanting.

I kept walking. I headed across the room to where my wife stood, and wrapped her in my arms. I put my head on her shoulders and she ran her fingers through my hair, soothing my ruffled feathers.

Edward began to speak but I put him and Jasper off saying, "Later, you two. It can wait."

And with that, we untangled ourselves and left the room hand in hand. Tomorrow was another day.

**A/N: Tricky Raven recently held the Fandom Choice Awards. In the Quileute Wolf Pack section Gods and Wolves was placed second in the category of Best Historical Drama, and third in the category of Best Action Sequence. I was also placed third in the category of Best Breakthrough Author. Thank you to all of my readers, to those who nominated me and then voted for me, and to everyone who continues to support this story. It is much appreciated, especially as Ephraim is not one of the more popular wolves.**


	38. Chapter 38

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**1996**

**TonyPOV**

I was feeling very pleased with myself. It had taken some time, but I'd finally managed to convince Grandpa Carlisle to let all of us talk to him about going to school like normal kids. Of course we _weren't_ normal, but that hardly mattered; what mattered was that we'd been able to get our own way.

Of course, if it had been anyone else we were trying to, _persuade_, it would have been the work of a moment. When that dog bit Matilda back in the day, it took no time at all to drive it to end its sorry life.

It wouldn't have even been an issue if it wasn't for that idiot cop, Charlie Swan, who'd seen what we did although we didn't realize it at the time. Going to the mansion and finding out that Grandpa had dazzled the jerk, well that was just the icing on the cake really. But we were still in the shit for doing it in the first place, and the olds had watched us all like hawks ever since.

The first thing that happened was that we were pretty much grounded. Granted, we were only five or six anyway, but in our capabilities we were more like twelve year old humans, and not being able to go out and do things chafed on us. We'd hoped to be able to go to school then, and that idea had gone by the board. They'd kept home schooling us instead.

Then there was the dressing down we all got: it was meant to scare us onto the straight and narrow but to be honest it made us all laugh really. We knew that Jasper was the most feared vampire in the world, but somehow it didn't really register. Was it because we'd never needed to fight him, or because we had some powers of our own, powers he knew nothing about?

Maybe it was because living in Grandpa's coven had declawed him; he was a shadow of the vampire he must have been once. These days he was nothing more than Aunty Alice's handbag, and the only rebellion he ever took part in was each morning when he pulled on the cowboy boots that she hated so much.

As for Edward; I snorted at the thought of him. He believed that his power to read minds was the key to the success of the family, and that he was indispensable. He seemed not to have noticed that the family was now well supplied with mind-readers. Even after Grandpa Carlisle came home to say that we'd somehow coerced an animal to commit suicide he still didn't fully appreciate what we could do.

He'd picked that incident out of our young brains but there were other things we'd done that he didn't have a clue about. We didn't go out much at all, but there'd been the occasional trips to the supermarket or a store before and since. Those gave us the chance to do dumb but fun things like make someone push a shopping basket into a big stack of cans, or into another shopper, and then stand back and watch.

If we went to the park we could start fights pretty easily, just by stirring up the feelings of the kids there towards each other. There really was no limit to the stuff we could do, but Edward had no concept of that. Of course we hid our thoughts and never gave him a reason to think otherwise.

We were fully resolved never to let our elders ever know the full extent of our powers unless we really had to use them. This was Forks, Washington for fuck's sake, why would we need to? We had enough in our arsenal already.

We just needed to play along with the adults, and try not to dazzle or practice mind control on them, not Grandpa anyway. There was something a little grubby about manipulating someone as well-intentioned and protective of us as he was.

As for the others, the powers that some of them had made it a bad idea. Where the wolves weren't involved in our family life, Alice did sometimes get glimpses of things. There was the risk that Edward might catch a stray thought here and there. But at the very least, we'd have to rein in the pleasure we took in our activities, because our triumphant or mischievous moods would be sensed by Jasper.

It was a pain having to be, or seem to be, good but we were hoping for a payoff. We were hoping that after three or four years, we'd won back their trust enough for us to be allowed to do this. Being together was fun, and we'd learned a lot from our vampire teachers, but we needed to get out and about.

We were all looking forward to it. We were especially looking forward to testing our skills out on the unsuspecting Forks kids. Nothing too drastic, just some friendly neighborhood vampire hazing. For my part, I thought it'd be nice to get myself a servant; someone who'd do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, without question.

Grandpa Carlisle was slowly coming around, but Josie, my Mom was another matter. She was being very snoopy of late. It was hard enough to keep her out of my head at the best of times. She seemed to have a sixth sense about Matilda and I, and she knew when we were up to something. Whether she suspected it was about going to school was another matter though. I hoped not.

It was a good thing that we'd all worked out some time ago how to keep the family mind-readers out of our heads. Nothing too drastic, just diversion, pushing thoughts of kittens and unicorns to the front of our minds whilst keeping the important stuff buried deeper until we were out of range.

As for all of our empath Dads, and the Major, well that was a bit harder. But since we all had a bit of empath in us anyway, we had the ability to replace the emotions we were really feeling with fake ones.

The older we got, the better we were at making the fake emotions seem real. It was a better choice than just clamping down on our feelings, because if we didn't seem to ever feel, that in itself was a signal to another empath that something was up.

There was going to be a family meeting to decide whether our request to go to the town school was going to be granted. I was cautiously optimistic, and determined we would win this time. We all checked in with each other and then set off for the mansion at the same time, arriving en masse and entering the living room where our families were waiting for us.

**CarlislePOV**

Tony and Matilda had come to us, on behalf of all of the kids, to ask if they could go to school. It was hard to say no, after all Edward had been, as had Rose and Emmett. I'd homeschooled Josie and her peers, because there was no way for me to know back then whether they could be trusted among humans.

Perhaps my worries on that score had been misplaced, because they had grown up to be fine people, friendly and placid. They were an example to their own kids, and I hoped that those children might be the same.

That was until the poor dog died. I could only relate what Charlie had told me; it fell to Edward to pick the thoughts out of Tony and Matilda's heads, and those weren't pretty. We'd been lucky that they were young and he could still do that, I had a nasty feeling that before long they'd be controlling their own minds as well as they controlled others.

His bird's eye view of what they did left no room for argument; they had meant to kill and they had killed. The injury to them and their pride was minor, but the response was far from it.

I did what I could then. I kept them out of Forks as much as possible, to the point where their reclusiveness was talked about. I tried to teach them right from wrong. Sometimes I thought I was getting through to them; making them see the worth of a life. Sometimes I caught a smirk, or a glance, a hint of smugness, and the feeling nagged at me that they weren't sorry at all.

I spoke to Jasper and Edward about it but their powers weren't as helpful as they could have been. The children could shut them down, since they were mind readers and empaths in the same body.

I worried constantly about it. They needed to become part of the world at some point, and they seemed contrite; should I take them at face value or keep watching them? And what should I do about their latest request?

I thought back to our most recent conversation. Tony was persuasive. He pointed out that home schooling didn't help them to socialize around humans. He also said that since they were all half-human anyway, it wasn't as hard for them to blend in as it was for us.

I wasn't sure about that. Their eerie eyes had drawn comment more than once, and then there was the dog. Tony was defensive when confronted about that; he said it was a flash of temper, an overreaction on his part. He said he just wanted to forget about it and move on. I didn't know if I could believe him.

This time he seemed to be genuinely remorseful; was it churlish of me to keep bringing it up? Esme thought so, and she was normally both kind and wise. I relied on her judgment a lot, and I was leaning towards taking her advice again. This was Forks; what was the worst that could happen?

I hadn't given an answer when I was first approached; I said I'd take it under advisement and give my answer at a family meeting. Well today was the day of the family meeting, the kids would be here any minute, and I was no closer to deciding what to do about it.

Perhaps the meeting would show me a way forward. I could only hope so.

Over the next few minutes the family arrived; first Esme and our immediate "family" of Edward and the others, then Josie, her husband and the rest of Jasper and Edward's progeny, and finally the children.

The children seemed to have staged their arrival slightly after their parents; they turned up all together, and the similarity of their hair and eye colors in that situation was startling. Having never seen them all like that before, I was taken aback, and I think some of the others were too.

They all had hair of a kind of strawberry blonde, which seemed to borrow more from Jasper's blonde waves and even a touch of Edward's coppery tones, than it did anything their own parents had. The effect was angelic, or would have been had their eyes not had a kind of intensity in them that took their golden cast and made them seem otherworldly.

Our own eyes were golden, but that was from our diet, and they varied in color from time to time. These eyes didn't change much at all, the diet of these children was more mixed than ours, and like humans, the color stayed the same. It was just that the color was so disconcerting.

I collected myself; there was no point in dwelling on what they looked like. What I needed to do was to focus on how they'd been behaving and whether as a family we could afford to agree to their request.

There were too many of us for everyone to be seated; but we were vampires so it hardly mattered. I began the meeting in my customary way.

I looked around. "Are we all here now? Is anyone missing?"

I knew the answer to that but it was an icebreaker. Edward shook his head; the minds were all present and, at least as far as he could tell, open to him. It was our signal to proceed.

"Tony, perhaps you'd like to have the floor."

Tony smirked, and then began to speak. "We, that is to say, all of us children, would like to go to school Grandpa. We know we're more advanced than other children but we'd like to go to elementary school and then high school the same as anyone else would."

"Might I ask why? You've seemed happy enough being taught by us until now, and it's not as if you have friendships in Forks that you need to pursue."

"Maybe, Grandpa, we'd like to have the opportunity to make friends in the first place. We've been kept away from other kids for years now, and we're tired of it."

"Maybe, Tony, you'd have had the opportunity before now if you knew how to behave yourself in public," Edward snapped.

Tony bristled. "Are we going to go down that path again? Because as wrong as it was to kill that dog, none of us have drunk from a human."

Edward looked like he'd been slapped. He didn't talk much about his "rebellious period" but the reality was he had spent some time hunting and killing humans in an effort to be more of a vampire. It was a charge that could be laid at any of the senior Cullens except for me and Rosalie, but it didn't sting as much for the others.

Jasper was unashamed about his murderous past; how could he be otherwise, the scars that covered his body were like an alarm to another vampire. The rest of them had slipped up from time to time but had come to terms with it. Only Edward, with his moral code and prudishness carried any kind of burden from his past.

If I didn't know better I'd have sworn that Tony was trying to get a rise out of him.

Jasper thought so too. He fixed his gaze, which was usually benign, onto Tony.

"I know you think you're clever, but I can feel the emotions you're giving off, and the efforts you're making to rein them in. You're quite pleased with yourself aren't you? The only thing I can't work out is whether you're pleased at your ability to bait Edward or to kill a dumb animal. Gotta say though, neither is much of an accomplishment."

Tony flushed for a moment, his human side coming through, and then collected himself again.

"I don't know what you're talking about Uncle Jasper, really I don't. We've been over this before and Matilda and I are sorry for what we did. And I'm sorry for snapping at Uncle Edward but he can be so judgmental sometimes."

I needed to take back control of the conversation before things got any nastier.

"Does anyone have anything to say about Tony's request? Because I really don't think raking over the coals of his past behavior is at all helpful at the moment."

"It's helpful if you think it's a predictor of his future behavior." Edward was nothing if not dogged in his refusal to change the subject.

"Do you have any special insights about that subject that you'd like to share?"

He stiffened, and looked around the room. If I was going to take a guess I'd say he was trying to pick some thoughts out of a few minds to either support or counter his argument. I stayed silent, and waited for him to finish.

He began to speak, then stopped and shook his head.

"I'm having trouble getting a reading on what the children are thinking Carlisle. And it's a funny thing, but they all seem to be having the same thoughts. I don't understand how that can be."

That was curious. Did the children have some kind of power or special attribute that we didn't know about? There were no other children in the world like them, so it was possible.

I really wanted to grant them this request, to give them the benefit of the doubt, but something was nagging at me, something that made me feel as though I was flying blind. I couldn't make an informed decision if I didn't have all of the facts I needed.

I put Edward on the spot. "Can you see anything at all in their thoughts that would mean that they can't be trusted?"

He frowned, and his shoulders slumped a little. Running his fingers through his hair he finally said "No, but as I mentioned before I'm having trouble seeing much of anything. And I've got to tell you Carlisle, that worries me a lot."

"I see".

Turning to the children, and Tony as their spokesperson I tried a new tack.

"You understand that if we allow you to do this, you're representing us in what you do. If you go to school, and then behave badly, hurting someone or worse, that will reflect on us and we might be asked to leave Forks. We don't want to leave Forks, we like it here and it would be hard for us to settle anywhere else in the world now where we could be so free to go about our business as we pleased."

"We understand that Grandpa" Tony replied.

"Do you? Because I don't want to have to go around Forks cleaning up the messes that you kids might make. It might seem to you as if all we have to do is dazzle our way out of trouble but that's a last resort. We should use it sparingly; we really don't know what effect it has or how long it lasts."

I felt tired all of a sudden. I was being pulled two ways; my love for the children was warring with my concern for the people of Forks. Admittedly we were here in their town and maybe that wasn't in their interests either, but I had tried to tread lightly even if the others hadn't.

"Esme, what do you think my dear?" I needed a second opinion.

She smiled softly, and then gave me the way out I'd been looking for.

"I can see a way to do this that will work, but it will require some effort on our behalf. I certainly don't think we should send the children off with a smile and a wave."

I was intrigued. "What do you mean?"

"Send them to school but send some of us as well. While they're in the younger grades perhaps Rosalie and I can be there to teach them, and maybe later on more of us. We've all got qualifications of some sort, and the schools here are sometimes short of teachers. We could offer our services."

I tried to gauge the feeling in the room about this idea. Esme was on the right track but perhaps her choice of teachers was a bit misguided. I'd be wanting to see Edward and Jasper at least anywhere they were, vampires with no special talents would be limited in what they could do with them. But as a starting point, something to work on, it had merit.

"Does anyone object to this idea?"

Tony pouted. "We do. We want to go to school to get away from this constant supervision and try to be normal, not to have you follow us everywhere."

"Would you prefer it if we said no?"

"I guess not."

"Then I'll talk to the adults here, including your parents, and let you know what we decide. Our decision will be binding, if you don't like the terms of the proposal we come up with then you can continue to be home schooled. That is all."

"May we be excused?"

"Yes you may. We'll have something for you in a few days."

And with that I stood up, and left the room. I needed to go to my study and reflect, and most of all I needed to be alone. The burdens I'd willingly assumed when I decided to live here were becoming heavier and harder to bear, and that was my own fault. I felt it keenly.


	39. Chapter 39

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**A/N: Character death in this chapter, and a sudden, violent death at that. Consider yourselves warned.**

**1999**

**CarlislePOV**

The kids had been going to school in Forks for three years now. They were pretty much done with Elementary School and would be moving on to the next stage soon.

Their time there had not been without hiccups but most of the problems they'd caused had been able to be dealt with by their teachers pretty easily. Stupid things, like causing mischief and using their powers to deflect blame. I made sure that there was always at least one mind reader on deck every day at the school to find out who was behind their little stunts, and where possible the culprit was disciplined.

They were smart, and they shared the blame around, because for one child to get a reputation as a trouble maker would not be good for any of them.

Even so, from time to time we weren't able to penetrate their defenses, which were getting better with age. Sometimes we really didn't know if they'd done the things they seemed to have done; kids being kids any child was capable of acting up.

There'd been nothing major, nothing truly chilling like the death of the dog had been. But to my mind even the most innocent seeming case of a vampire using a human to meet his or her needs wasn't right. That was because free will was important, and so was a sense of right and wrong. I knew it was a school tradition for the popular kids to get the others to bow and scrape to them; run errands, serve them, but hybrids were different. They weren't fully human and there was a nasty taste of slavery in some of the things they did.

Sometimes I'd catch the eye of one of them and a wave of unease would pass over me; a feeling that just wouldn't leave me no matter how hard I tried. On some level I knew that one day there'd be trouble, big trouble, and I could only hope that when the time came we'd all be up to the challenge of dealing with it.

You couldn't treat a person a certain way because of what you thought they might do. To do that violated my most basic principles. As did allowing a preventable catastrophe to happen; with each year that passed I became more and more torn.

Maybe we should leave once they'd finished High School...

**TonyPOV**

I knew that Grandpapa didn't really go much on our shenanigans at school, but since nothing ever came of it, and nobody was getting into trouble repeatedly, there wasn't much he could do.

Sometimes the teachers seemed to be wising up, and when one did I just dazzled them. I didn't tell anyone, but the others knew anyway. Someone had to take the lead in our group and it might as well be me.

I saw a pretty girl around town during one summer. I'd heard she was Officer Swan's daughter, but I didn't know for sure if she was or not. I tried to read her mind one day to see if I could find out, as it wasn't a good idea to glamour a cop's kid. But her mind was closed to me. I laughed to myself, maybe she was just an airhead. I shrugged and got on with the business of living my life.

**RachelPOV**

It was a miserable day in La Push. Rain and sleet were coming in, and sometimes it felt like the sheeting water was coming in sideways.

We'd run out of groceries, and Mum wanted to buy more art supplies for her and Rebecca. So we were going to the store in Forks; close enough that a trip in this weather wouldn't be too hard, but far enough away that we could get what we needed. The general store on the Rez didn't have everything on the list.

I knew how to drive, but since I was only thirteen I was way too young to have a license. So Mom drove the two of us. Bec stayed behind, she was in the middle of doing an oil painting and didn't want to be interrupted. Jake and Dad never went on those kinds of trips, shopping was women's work.

I snorted; if that was women's work then morphing into a giant shaggy wolf was men's work. Not that I would say that to Dad. Jake was looking forward to the day when he would make the fourth generation of wolves in our family, and he expected to be Alpha one day when Great-Granddad handed over the reins.

Personally, I thought he was going to be waiting a long time. There were a couple of others in the queue before him.

My musings were interrupted by Mom's voice singing out to me, "Are you ready Rach? We need to go now before this weather gets any worse."

I called back, "Yeah Mom. Just need to get my raincoat."

"I'll see you out at the car honey."

I heard Mom say goodbye to Dad, he was eating his breakfast and reading the paper. If I knew him he'd do his usual; offer her his cheek to kiss whilst he kept eating and reading. They loved each other dearly, but it was a quiet and deep thing; they weren't too demonstrative.

Jake said it was a good thing. He said that the Clearwaters grossed him out with all of their lovey-dovey stuff. Whatever.

I placed the raincoat on the back seat and then slid into the front passenger seat. Mom got in beside me, buckled her seatbelt and started the engine.

She raised an eyebrow at me, "Aren't you going to put your seatbelt on Rachel?"

I rolled my eyes; we kids never used them, but she was always on at me to buckle up. Mom sighed and put the car into gear, and we set off for Forks.

The first part of the journey passed uneventfully. We chatted quietly about school and the family. Bec had taken up painting like Mom, but unlike her she painted in oils, not watercolors. We needed to get supplies for them both, so Mom was trying to find out from me what Bec might like. She already had a list of things she really needed, but she wanted to surprise her.

I didn't really know, to be honest. Painting wasn't my thing. I liked the outdoors; walking or running on the beach, picnics, even being in the forest. There was plenty of time to be indoors at night.

We'd reached the intersection of the La Push road with the highway. Mom looked both ways carefully, as she always did, and then turned in the direction of Forks.

We drove more slowly than usual. The rain had started to come down harder now and we needed to back off a bit. Sometimes Mom would take the car a bit to the left, over the centre line, if there was a puddle that looked too deep for us to drive through.

The conversation dropped off. Mom needed to concentrate on her driving. I was beginning to think that this trip had been a bad idea, there was nothing that we were getting that couldn't have waited, and the weather was foul. Right now a session in front of the TV sounded pretty damn good.

We hit a puddle and hydroplaned; Mom struggled to control the car but got it back after a few seconds, shaken but otherwise okay. I wasn't though. I was starting to get a bad feeling about this trip. And although it was a freezing cold day I felt flushed and sweaty. I'd been feeling that way a lot lately...

"Mom?"

"Yes Rach?"

"Maybe we should turn around. This weather is getting worse and I'm afraid we'll have an accident."

"Relax honey. I've driven this road a thousand times in good weather and bad. You can't live in this part of the world and worry about rain."

A few miles further down the road we went into a sweeping right hand bend that was blind. It turned sharply and the woods obscured the view of what was around the corner. Mom moved out slightly again to avoid another deep puddle, but she wasn't over the centre line.

And then everything happened all at once. Things that shouldn't happen; things I couldn't believe would happen. My life would never be the same again.

**CarlislePOV**

I was heading home from a shift in the hospital. I'd been working overnight which I didn't usually do, but another of the doctors had called in sick. Physician, heal thyself.

I'd just had delivered my brand-new black E55 AMG from Mercedes-Benz. I was itching to try it out, and a quiet country road early in the morning seemed the perfect time to do it.

There wouldn't be anyone around, the weather was bad and people by and large tended to stay indoors when the rain began to come in sideways. Not that it mattered, with the car's handling and my vampire-honed reflexes nothing was going to happen anyway.

I tuned the radio to a classical station, and turned up the volume, tapping my fingers on the black leather covered steering wheel in time with the music.

As I was driving, I thought some more about the kids and what we as a family were going to do about them. There was no doubt that they were up to something, but without knowing what it was I could do nothing. Tony was both clever and slippery, and it was going to be hard for me to catch him out in a misstep.

I decided to bide my time; I had plenty of it after all. I'd passed the town limits of Forks and so was free to put my pedal to the metal and see what this thing could do, and I couldn't wait any longer.

Cars were my one indulgence. In all other respects I was a clean-living and sober married doctor-vampire. But I liked to drive fast. We all did. As I accelerated, the needle moved up inexorably; a hundred miles per hour, a hundred and fifty, faster and faster...

I swept along the road, cutting down the bends as much as possible, moving over to the wrong side when I needed to and just sweeping the car along in as straight a line as I could manage. Since I had the road to myself, I might as well use it.

The road before me turned sharply into a left hand turn; it was blind and I couldn't see the road beyond it until I was almost upon it. What I saw then chilled me to the bone, or would have if I wasn't already dead.

There was a car coming towards me, and its tires were almost over the centre line. The driver saw me at about the same time as I saw her. She didn't recognise me; didn't realize that my reflexes were exponentially better than hers, and that I could get out of her way.

She swerved, and although we missed each other, her car skidded in the wet conditions, left the road, and smashed head-on into a tree. The force of the impact tore the tree trunk off, causing the tree to fall onto the roof of the car.

The car itself was crumpled into something about half its normal length, and the engine pushed into the passenger cabin. I pulled up, and ran to the scene, grabbing my medical bag on the way out of the car.

As I ran, I could see one person in the car, and another that had been thrown clear, a Quileute teenage girl. Then as I got close enough to wrench the car door open, out of the corner of my eye I saw the girl disappear and... WHAT?

I looked inside the car, and my head drooped, venom tears forming and sliding down my cheeks. It was too late; a second after the crash was too late. The woman, or what appeared to have been a woman, I could only tell because she had been wearing a dress, had been killed on impact.

Her neck had obviously snapped, which was a mercy because it spared her from having to feel what happened next. The tree that had fallen onto the roof of the car had crushed her poor broken body into a tiny space, meshing everything together; car, driver, all as one.

I put the bag down. It was of no use to me now, and neither was an ambulance. She was beyond all earthly help. But I had another problem, and this one was going to take me all of my diplomatic and other skills to solve.

Because behind me I heard growling...

**RachelPOV**

What. The. Fuck.

What was happening to me?

I spun around to try to see, but all I could see was a tail, ginger colored with a russet tip.

I looked down and saw two massive paws the size of plates on the ground, the same ginger color as the tail.

They appeared to be a part of me, but this was not possible.

My nose wrinkled; what WAS that smell? Revolting, like a nasty mixture of cotton candy and toilet bleach. Whatever it was that smelled that way was just gross and I was NOT going to have anything to do with it except maybe tear it apart.

Because I was fucking ANGRY... angrier than I had ever been in my life. For once I felt the blood of the Alpha running through my veins.

I turned my head ever so slightly, holding my breath for as long as I dared. There was this weird crystalline looking creature crouched by the car. I smelt blood, and heard... nothing. Mom was dead, I knew that in my heart, but I didn't want to believe it.

Why had we come out today? And what was this... THING... doing at the scene? I sure as shit didn't need a piece of smelly quartz around here.

The creature spoke; well Goddamn it was Carlisle Cullen.

So that's what vampires looked like to a... I looked down again... a wolf. Yep, I was a wolf, a she-wolf to be exact, the first of our tribe.

No wonder Dad, Granddad and Great-Granddad didn't like them. Because frankly, when you look like a piece of stone and smell like something from the grave, it's not decent to be above the grass.

I pondered for a moment; maybe below the grass was where he belonged, where he should have been these past few hundred years. He'd killed Mom after all.

I started to get madder and madder; and then this noise started to come out of me, drool dripped out of my mouth and fell in gloopy drops onto the ground.

That noise... was I GROWLING?

Sheeit...

I began to stalk over to the creature, my tail swishing, my nose crinkling, and the volume of my growling increasing with every step I took.

The CREATURE backed away from me, arms up and head down in a submissive position. Nope, not changing anything buddy.

Then, after crashing and maybe losing Mom and then turning into a wolf, another thing happened. It wasn't as bad as everything else, but it was weird... I heard voices inside my head.

"_Who...__who is this? What is this? Who is it in my head?"_

"_Who is this in MY head? It sounds like a new voice," _said one.

"_I know of no new wolves that were due to begin phasing," _replied the other.

I dropped onto my haunches and put my... paws over my... ears. I tried to bury my head and... snout into the ground, trying to drown it out. The voices sounded familiar. They sounded like Great-Granddad and Uncle Quil.

Maybe I could be in their minds too. Or was I going mad? _"It's Rachel. Rachel Black... what's happening to me? Great-Granddad, Uncle Quil, is that you?"_

"_Rachel? Rachel honey, if that's really you, you're right. It's me, your Great-Granddad, and, it would seem, your Alpha. Where are you and what's happened?"_

"_On the road to Forks. Please hurry, there's been a crash, and I don't know if Mom's okay and there's a Cold One here... I want to kill it, and I'm scared." _

"_Clear your mind, and look around you. I need to see where you are..."_

I tried to calm myself and began to look around me.

In my mind I heard the voices again; and then I heard, "_I can see the Cold One, and I can see where you are. Stay on the ground Rachel, I ORDER YOU NOT TO HARM THE COLD ONE. THE COLD ONE WILL NOT HARM YOU."_

They knew where I was and they were coming for me. I stayed on the ground but alert, my ears pricked and my eyes on the creature. It was not going to catch me unawares...

**CarlislePOV**

I shook my head. Apparently a girl had phased; that was unheard of in La Push.

I knew the names of every wolf in that place, and none of them were female. None of them ever had been female. As far as I knew it was not possible for females to phase. I sniffed the air. Her scent was a little sweeter than that of a male wolf, but not by much. She was still rank.

I thought about it all, while I was waiting for her to leap at me and rend me limb from limb. I couldn't break the treaty, not even to save my own life, and to act would be to kill this shifter. One so new had no chance against me really, but at first she didn't seem to be too concerned about doing anything other than ripping my head off.

I hoped, rather than knew, that the pack mind might come to my rescue and send some older heads to this place. And as this wolf settled, she seemed to be maybe hearing pack voices, covering her ears and then, as if ordered, sitting up on her haunches and glaring at me.

We sat there, staring, neither taking our eyes off the other, until what seemed to be about twenty minutes had passed. It might have been less; I wasn't quite up to the task of timekeeping at the moment.

The undergrowth crackled and the trees rustled as the air rushed past them from the running of wolves. Two of them then emerged from between two large spruce trees, and thank the Lord one of them was that familiar gigantic russet that I'd first seen more than sixty years ago.

They ran up to us; and then the other, smaller one, Quil I thought it was, phased back into a man. He covered himself quickly with some cutoffs he'd had between his jaws. I knew they didn't normally bother with their nakedness, but this was an unusual situation, and I also knew that they had spare clothes secreted in the forest.

I began to speak, but he cut me off. "The Alpha begs your indulgence but he cannot on this occasion speak to you as a man. The new wolf is his great-granddaughter Rachel Black and he needs to keep speaking with her in her mind. She is very agitated and afraid, both of her condition and of you."

I nodded. "I understand."

He continued, "Would you please explain to us what has happened here? If I'm not mistaken there's a car over there, with a tree collapsed onto it... oh no... oh God, no!"

He rushed over to the scene, looked inside the car, and then turned his head to one side, falling to the ground and retching, his body shaking with the force of it.

Ephraim's enormous yellow eyes seemed to catch fire. He fixed his gaze on the wreck, his massive head and body moving in the direction of the mess. As he stalked towards what was left of the car, he whipped his head around towards Rachel. Perhaps he'd issued another order; she still remained motionless.

I didn't think it was much of an idea for me to move either, so I didn't. I found a spot on the grass and let the rain fall on me as it had for some time already; praying to God with all of the fervor I possessed that He would spare my life today. I knew what Ephraim Black was about to see. What I didn't know was how he would react to it.

When he reached the car, he too looked inside. His jaws gripped the driver's side door and he wrenched it open, tossing it aside with a flick of his head in the direction of the forest. He paced up and down, trying to get at the interior of the car, but unable to in his wolf form.

I watched, unable to drag my eyes from the scene, as he melted back into his human features and body, and then began to work on the fallen tree. He was a man now, not a wolf. How could he move that thing? It was as if he was possessed; the adrenaline coursing through his veins making his superhuman strength even greater for a short moment in time. Rachel covered her eyes with her paws, and after a moment I could see why. He was naked; naked and uncaring that he was. Quil had noticed too, and disappeared for a moment only to reappear with a loincloth of some kind.

Ephraim grunted, and put it on, resuming his work, helped by Quil. Finally he dragged the tree away from the car, dropping it onto the ground with an earth-shaking thud.

He leaned into the cabin of the crushed car, working on the steering wheel, roof and seats. Eventually he scooped the occupant up into his arms, and tears began to fall down his dirt-streaked cheeks.

He sobbed; sinking down onto his knees and throwing his head back, staring at the grey skies and railing at his God.

"Why, Taha Aki, why? Why have you done this? Why have you taken her away from us? Have we not suffered enough as a family, and as a tribe? Why have you forsaken us?"

I wondered who she was, as he would not utter the name of a dead person. But if the young she-wolf was Rachel Black then the woman he had in his arms was probably her mother Sarah. He held her to him tightly; crying bitterly and wrapping her in his arms. Time passed and the sobs became quieter, softer, petering out to sniffles. He wiped his nose on his arm and hand, and placed Sarah onto the ground.

He stood up, and went back to the car, checking the trunk but with no success. I wondered what he was after, and then it dawned on me. So I offered my suit coat to him; he refused, politely but firmly.

"My grandson's wife will not be covered by a Cold One's clothing. But thank you for the offer."

He found a raincoat on the back seat and some scraps of material that had been destroyed when Rachel phased. It wasn't enough to cover Sarah properly, but he placed the largest piece carefully and delicately over her head and shoulders, and used the raincoat for her tiny body.

I felt so powerless. There was no task I could perform for him to ease his pain. Telling him what had happened would increase it, and might be fatal for me, but that could wait. Then I had an idea.

"I have a cell phone in my car. Would you like to use it to telephone the emergency services? I haven't done that yet because there were no lives that could be saved, and there was a wolf here who didn't seem to know what had happened to her. Perhaps now that the situation is under control we might be able to call Forks PD and the ambulance."

"Thank you. We should do that; it's the law after all."

He spoke to Quil, "Phase back and take Rachel away from here. She will not be able to resume her human form for some hours and she can't be here when the hokwát arrive. Carlisle, when you speak to them, you tell them that there were no passengers, only the driver. If they don't believe you, MAKE THEM."

I could not believe what I'd just heard, but then again, the secret mattered as much to the Quileute as it did to us. Perhaps we might be lucky and Charlie Swan would turn up, but if not, we'd have to stay quiet about Rachel Black's involvement here.

I retrieved the phone and handed it to him. He made two calls; one to the emergency number, and one to his son Bill in La Push. Then we waited for all hell to break loose.


	40. Chapter 40

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**BillPOV**

I took the call when I was sitting down to breakfast with Judy. Dad had been crying, I could tell; and he sounded shaken, off balance.

He didn't give me any details over the phone just told me where to go, and to hurry. He also told me to make sure that Billy was not on duty when I phased.

I checked, and Billy was still at home with Jake and Rebecca. I sent Judy around there to visit with him and keep him there. Then I headed off towards whatever awaited me on the road to Forks.

I slipped out of the back of the house and headed for the forest, stripping and phasing on the fly once I'd made the cover of the trees. I picked up my cutoffs in my jaws as I set off, no time for ceremony but I needed to be decent.

Arriving on the scene minutes later I stopped behind a tree, resumed my human form, and dressed. I made my way over to my father, who was standing talking to Cullen and the cops, tears streaking his face. He looked tired and careworn, as if he were Atlas carrying the weight of the world.

Scanning the scene, I soon saw what had upset him so badly. Billy's car, crushed under a tree, and a body lying next to it. Dad hadn't said anything in the call so I went over to see for myself who it was under the cover.

The paramedics were there and they were unzipping a body bag and getting ready to use it. I asked them if I could see for myself and they peeled back the cover that had been there since before they arrived.

I started; it was Sarah, but not the Sarah I knew. She looked horrifying, and I never wanted to see anything like it again. I gestured for them to cover her again, and they put her in the bag and took her away.

One thing was certain; we'd have to forget about traditions this time because nobody needed to see that. I'd nail her coffin shut myself before I'd expose Billy to that image, and I'd do whatever I needed to do to keep it out of my head as well.

If I had to, I'd patrol with the Alpha or even give up phasing; there was no way on earth I'd fail my son in this.

I walked over to the paramedics, who'd loaded Sarah into the ambulance and were preparing to drive away. "What's the procedure here?"

"She'll be taken to the morgue. I suggest you speak to Dr Cullen over there about what happens after that, it's not our area."

I approached the Cold One, and tried to find out what I needed to know. Dad was still talking to the cops about what had happened so I took him aside for our conversation. It gave me the creeps dealing with this bloodsucker, but that couldn't be helped.

"Dr Cullen?"

"Yes, Mr. Black? Bill Sr isn't it?"

"Yes, the father-in-law of Sarah, the victim here. Would you please tell me what is going to happen to her now?"

"She's being taken to the morgue, as I heard the paramedics tell you. Once there she'll be formally identified, and possibly autopsied. I know that's not how you like to do things, but this is a legal matter now. Once the paperwork's been done the authorities will release her back to the tribe so that you may conduct your funeral rites."

"All due respect Doctor, but you'd better not be the one conducting the autopsy if there is one. No Cold One is going to open up my son's wife."

He huffed. "I wouldn't anyway. I'm excluded because I was in the accident too."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Good. But stay away from the doctor who does do it, I want none of your Cullen juju mind tricks on the guy. If you're in the wrong, you're going down."

He nodded, and then let his head slump onto his chest. This Cullen never showed the arrogance of some of the others, but even for him he was subdued. I supposed that the accident had shaken him up, as well it should. His ordeal was far from over and he knew it, after the Police were done with him he had the tribe to answer to.

I wandered back over to where my father was. Two Police had attended the scene, a junior officer and Charlie Swan. I noticed that he was wearing a Chief's uniform, and offered my congratulations.

He smiled faintly, but waved it away, as if praise was something that made him uncomfortable. I guess it did; Charlie wasn't one for titles.

He'd set his colleague to work, taking some measurements and making notes about the scene. Then he moved away from him far enough that he could talk to us in private.

"Sarah wasn't alone was she?"

"How do you know that?" I was curious.

"I can see that the passenger seat has been sat in, and there are other signs. Who else was with her?"

Dad shrugged. "Rachel, you know, one of the twins."

"So where is she now? I've been all over the scene, and although I knew there was a passenger I didn't see anyone."

"She did what I did many years ago, and every one of my male descendants has done ever since. She turned into a wolf."

Charlie's eyes became like saucers. "But no female has ever done that before."

"No," Dad continued, "but then no pack has ever had to deal with the number of Cold Ones that we have either. The peninsula is infested with them now."

Charlie nodded, slowly, and in a resigned tone said, "Yes, I know. You didn't hear this from me but they're the reason Bella doesn't come here anymore. I go to visit her instead, every summer. The last time she was here she came across one of those half, um, hybrids, and it freaked her out. She said he was staring at her, REALLY staring, boring into her brain. So I said I'd visit her, nothing wrong with a holiday in California once a year."

"No, nothing at all." Dad smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Okay. Getting back to the subject at hand. You say she turned into a wolf. I don't see any wolves around here either."

"Four took her into the forest. Once a new wolf phases for the first time, especially in circumstances as traumatic as these, they sometimes can't go back to being human for hours or even days. That would have been an _interesting_ sight for your colleague over there."

"True enough. I'll have to work out some way to handle this, we can't fake the evidence. Perhaps when she's herself again you might bring her to the Station. She can say she was disoriented and went into the forest. It's kind of true, and I'll take a step back from it, someone else can take her statement."

It wasn't much, but it would have to do. There was something else we needed help with and I decided I should be the one to raise it. "Charlie, this is going to hit Billy really hard. Do you think you could help us out with that? He's going to need his friends more than ever now."

Charlie's eyes moistened, glistening in the light, what there was of it. "As soon as I saw the car I knew this was going to be tough. I haven't spent as much time with Billy lately as I should have, what with Bella and the Cullens and their _offspring_, I've kept to Forks pretty much. It was better that way, better for the Quileute to keep to itself, better for me to keep an eye on my own patch."

"But you'll help him now?" I had to know if he would or not.

"If you like I can go to Billy and break the news to him myself. And the morgue is going to need somebody to identify Sarah, it would be best if nobody else had to see her like that."

I'd already decided that I would go. It was something, however small, that I could do for my father and my son. "I'll be going to Forks, and maybe you should go with me, after we've been to see Billy. Dad, I think you should find out what's happening with Rachel, and then go back to the Rez. We can all meet at Billy's; we need to make sure that he doesn't hear the news from somebody else."

We were finished here, and we all had places to go, although cars were scarce. Cullen's car was going to be picked up for testing, and the only other vehicles on the scene were the ambulance and the Police cruiser. This was going to be awkward.

After a nod to Charlie, and an agreement to meet him at Billy's house in an hour, we melted back into the forest. We phased once we were out of sight, and then I was to run home, phase back, dress and make my way to Billy's. Dad would go and see how Rachel was before becoming human again in time to do the same. The young policeman didn't notice us leaving. He was busy and had his back to us, but if he asked, he'd be told that we hitched a ride with a friend.

**CharliePOV**

Damn, this was going to be hard. I'd grown up with Billy, seen him crash the Prom when he didn't get to go with his girl, and fight the guy who disrespected her. They'd never been apart since, and that was twenty years ago at least. How do you tell a man that the love of his life is dead, and that he can't ever see her face again?

After I left the scene, I went back to the Station, did my paperwork and headed back out. I drove to the Rez then, with a quick stop off at home to change. For once, the trip went quickly; more quickly than I wanted it to. If I could have put off the moment of reckoning I would.

Once I'd made my way onto the Rez, I parked near Billy's house. Getting out of the car I turned to my left and saw Ephraim walking up the beach. He cut a lonely figure, having not remarried after his wife Amelia drowned, and in that moment I felt sorry for him.

Maybe one day he'd find someone else, but he always said no when he was asked about it. As far as he was concerned he'd had two wonderful wives and that was more luck than any man had a right to hope for or expect. He didn't need to tempt fate with another one.

I was alone too, but for other reasons. I didn't trust myself to choose a wife who'd stay, and Renee was lodged in my system. I didn't think I'd ever get over her. Now Billy was bereft as well. Life just wasn't fair.

I waited for him to catch up to me, and we fell into step with each other. Bill caught up to us on the way, but none of us spoke then until we'd reached the house. We walked to the front door, and I knocked.

Judy Black answered it, looking relieved that we'd finally arrived. She showed us in and we found Billy watching some sports on TV and drinking coffee. Jake was playing in his bedroom, and Rebecca was painting.

In my years as a cop I'd learned that the best way to deal with an unpleasant task was to just get on with it. So I cleared my throat and began to speak. "Billy?"

He turned around in his chair, flicked the remote to turn the TV off, and jumped up, striding over to me and slapping me on the back. "Hey buddy, long time no see, come on in and take a seat."

"Thanks, but I think I'd rather stand. I'm sorry Billy, but I didn't come here to socialize, I have something I need to tell you. Perhaps you should sit down again."

He looked puzzled, and as he saw his father and grandfather behind me, it began to dawn on him that something was terribly wrong. He glanced up at the clock on the wall, and it seemed to register with him that it was later than he thought it was.

"Can it wait? I'm expecting Sarah and Rachel to return from their shopping trip soon..."

I cut in. "I'm so sorry my old friend, but that's what we're here about." I wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Sarah's not coming home; there was an accident on the road to Forks..."

He shouted, "No, no, no, that's not possible! I saw her only a couple of hours ago... when she kissed me goodbye and I was eating... and reading the paper... and..."

He shook his head violently, as if he couldn't believe what he'd just heard; didn't want to believe it. Then he blanched, suddenly remembering something.

"She said goodbye... but I didn't look up from my paper... did I say goodbye? No, no, she can't be gone, I didn't say goodbye properly!"

He began to weep; crying bitterly and I held him for a while and patted him on the back. Then he stopped for a moment to ask me, "Rachel, where's Rachel, is she gone too?"

I caught Ephraim's expression out of the corner of my eye. This was pack business, so with one last pat I disengaged myself, took a step back and let him take over. He took a step towards Billy who looked up, blinking back tears but meeting his gaze. Bill excused himself and went to see the children.

"Rachel is safe. She's with Four, but I have to tell you that something has happened to her, something we weren't expecting."

"Why is she with Four? Why isn't she in the hospital? You can't tell me that if my wife is gone my daughter doesn't need treatment too."

"She phased Billy. She's with Four, running through the forest so that the hokwát who came to the accident didn't see her, and I'd say it will be some time before she's able to resume her normal form. The trauma she's been through was severe; I've seen it in her mind."

It was too much for my friend, too much to take in. In one morning he'd lost the love of his life to death, and his daughter to life as a wolf. He shoved his way past us and out the front door, running down to the beach.

There he stood on the sand for some time, tossing stones into the water, until finally he sat down on a driftwood log and stared out to sea. The sky was greyish and the clouds large and dark, as dark as the mood that seemed to settle on him.

I felt useless, powerless to comfort him. We all did. But as we wandered outside, trying to decide what to do next, we saw someone walking along the beach towards him, and it occurred to me that everything happens for a reason. It was Quil, Molly's widower, the man who'd been so broken by the death of his wife half a dozen years ago that we all thought he'd die. He'd lived, but he'd never been the same again.

The whole tribe helped him with that, and it seemed as though he was paying it forward, because when he reached Billy, he sat down next to him, put his arm around him, and began to speak. They were too far away for me to hear them, but whatever he was saying seemed to be of some comfort.

"How does he know?" I asked Ephraim.

"I called Harry's house. He spends a lot of time there, has done since he lost Molly. He lived there for a while when it happened. I've been watching him and it seemed to me that he'd recovered enough to maybe help Billy deal with this. I'm too close to it, Sarah was my family too, and Billy would find it hard to talk to me I think. Besides, I thought that Harry should know, the whole Rez will find out soon enough."

That was true enough. I'd done what I'd come here to do, and I was an outsider here. So I made my excuses and left them, with the assurance that if they needed anything else to just call me. Bill joined me for the trip into Forks and the morgue, which was the last thing I needed to do for my friend. As I put the car into gear and set off, I heard a commotion, but didn't know what it was about. Just the news travelling up and down La Push, no doubt.

**LeahPOV**

There was a knock on the door, about half an hour after we'd been told about Rach's Mom. Quil III had been visiting us, and now he'd gone to be with Billy. I didn't know what it was about this place, but we could never catch a break.

And it was always the women of the tribe who suffered; the women who didn't have the power of the wolf to protect them from harm. Sometimes I wondered what it would be like to be a wolf, but we all knew that could never happen, right?

I was with Sam, we'd played together since we were little and he'd always been sweet on me. I felt kinda silly about it, but I was sweet on him too. We were only thirteen or so, so it didn't matter anyway, we just liked to hang out with each other.

He was in our kitchen, eating some of Mom's chocolate chip cookies, when there was a noise outside. I went to the door and opened it, just before Four could knock.

He came in, and in a low voice said, "Are you alone?"

I replied, "No, but it's only me and Sam here at the moment. Mom and Dad left a minute ago to help with Billy and the kids, and Seth's up in his room."

"I need you to go up to your room, and get some spare clothes. Anything would do, a sundress, some cargos and a t-shirt, anything."

I had no idea what he needed those for, but I did as he asked, grabbing an old dress from out of my wardrobe and bringing it with me. Four headed back out the front door, with me following just behind him. I left Sam in the house with the cookies.

He took me around the back of the house and into the forest a short way. I wasn't frightened at all, until I saw a very large wolf curled up in a clearing. I knew it wasn't from the pack because I'd seen all of them at one time or another and this one looked different.

"What's going on?" I asked, suddenly feeling scared. I had goosebumps; I just knew that whatever this was, it wasn't good.

"You'll see in a moment," was all that Four would say.

He spoke softly and reassuringly to the wolf, trying to soothe it although why, I didn't know. If it was one of us he could have spoken to it in his mind. I heard a noise and looked around; it was Sam. He came up to me and held my hand.

Gradually, and as we watched, something about the wolf began to change. Four said to Sam, "Look away now Uley, you're not supposed to be here."

The changes continued, until there was a naked figure on the forest floor. Compared to what had been there before it was tiny, and when it lifted its head I realized who it was. It was Rachel Black. Nooooo...

Four took the dress from me, and shielding Rachel from our gaze with his body, handed her the dress. She pulled it over her head and stood up, very gingerly.

I felt consumed with rage. A girl had phased and it wasn't me, it should have been me. I had the blood of three families running through my veins; Atearas, Blacks and Uleys, and if anyone was going to be a wolf it was me. I'd dreamed of it, dreamed of being a warrior and not a homebody, baking brownies for the boys.

The rage washed through me, consuming me, eating me alive. I paid no attention to Rachel; she was still talking to Four. Sam had taken a few steps back from me; he knew there was something terribly wrong.

I felt myself expanding, my blood changing, and my form stretching. And then, in an excruciating explosion of fur and sinew and teeth, I changed into a wolf too.

I growled, my eyes on fire in the eerie light. Four put Rachel behind him and phased too, howling, and staring me down. He talked to me in my mind, trying to calm me.

I turned my head around to look at Sam. He was terrified of me, and I...

I loved him.

He was my world. Nothing else mattered, nobody else mattered. He was the moon and the stars, and what held me to the earth. My life would never be the same again.

I sat down on my haunches and whimpered, hoping against hope that he would come to me, love me back and not reject me.

Four saw it all in my mind, and once he knew I wouldn't attack, went back into his human form and took Sam by the arm. He whispered something in his ear and then Sam came over to me, crouching next to me and stroking my fur.

I chuffed, and let him stroke me. That was where we were when the Alpha found us later.

**A/N: I learned today that the story had been nominated in the Energize WIP Awards in the category of Best Twilight Non-Canon, and also that I had been nominated as Most Motivational Reviewer. If the person/s who nominated me is reading this, thank you so much! It's always gratifying to be recognized, and this story means so much to me.**

**A/N2: There is a new banner for the story, the final pack banner, which has been made by Mist. It's beautiful, and maybe a little unusual, so if you're a member of JBNP, Tricky Raven or TWCS, I will load it on there. And as an aside, there is only one chapter now before I return to 2005 and Ephraim's POV of meeting Bella. It will be a continuation of this chapter, which I decided to break in half so that I might post something this week.**


	41. Chapter 41

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**1999**

**EphraimPOV**

I found them curled up together on the ground. They looked so sweet together, in a weirdly supernatural way. Sam was lying on his side, facing her, stroking her fur. Leah was still in her wolf form, wrapped around his body, sheltering it, chuffing contentedly.

Like every new wolf, she needed to adjust, to work out how to adapt to being in this body and eventually to resume her human form. And if there was something positive to come out of it, then that was imprinting on Sam. They'd always been close, but now nothing would keep them apart.

Sue came with me. As helpful as she and Harry had been in helping Billy to cope with his loss, this turn of events was more important, at least for her. Like Rachel, Leah's transformation had been sudden, and would have left her with nothing to put on when she phased back. Sue understood this, and had stopped home to get some of Leah's favorite shorts and a t-shirt.

As Sue stood back, I brought forth my wolf again, as I had done so many times before over so many years. It could have been routine by now, but each time I felt a sense of wonder that my spirit warrior dwelt within me and could be summoned at a time of need. I surrendered to it, and my russet colored and massive form emerged.

Having done so, I spoke to Leah in her mind. _"Leah, this is your Alpha speaking. Can you hear me?"_

Her reply was as swift as it was clear. _"Yes, sir, I hear you."_

"_You need to learn how to phase back into your human form. Are you ready to try to do that?"_

"_Yes, I am ready."_

Sue and I had agreed on the way over that Sam should be sent home in case Leah's phase back went badly. And there was her nakedness when she changed to consider, she was young after all. So Sue spoke to him, explaining why he needed to go.

As he left the clearing and headed home, with promises that he could see Leah later, I spoke to her again.

"_You need to think human thoughts. Try to forget about the sensations and experience of being a wolf and picture yourself as Leah. Walking on the beach, eating an ice-cream, going to school, whatever thoughts and memories act most powerfully to bring you back into the human world."_

Leah remained still for a few minutes, trying to find something to visualize to trigger her phase back. After a little while she shuddered, yipped, and then as I watched her wolf form shimmered and began to melt away.

I averted my eyes and once her transformation was complete Sue rushed forward, shielding her and handing her the clothes she'd brought. Leah dressed, and stood up carefully, still a little off balance. The two of them then headed home. My work here was done, but my day wasn't. I needed to deal with Carlisle Cullen, and then go back to Billy's house, be with my family, and work out how the hell we were going to deal with our loss.

I ambled over to my pile of clothes. After I'd looked around me, and seen nobody, I phased back as well and quickly pulled some pants on. There was a cell phone in my pocket and I took it out, hit the speed dial button I'd set up for the doctor, and waited for him to answer.

When he did, his voice sounded tired and resigned. He knew this call was coming and I doubted that he'd looked forward to it.

"Hello Ephraim."

"Hello Carlisle. Caller ID huh?"

"That and the sinking feeling I've had all day. I'm so sorry for this, words can't express how sorry."

"Sorry won't bring her back will it? You're going to have to give a full accounting of what happened to the Council. No doubt you've already given a statement to the Police, but we have our own customs, and the Treaty, to consider."

"I understand. What is it you want me to do?"

"I'm going to speak to the Council and find out how they want to meet with you. As much as we try to keep Cold Ones away from our territory, in this case we may need to invite you onto the Rez to hear your story. I'll be in touch."

"I await your call."

I shut the phone off, and made my way towards Billy's, my heart heavy and my mind full of problems that I needed to try to solve.

**Three days later...**

**RachelPOV**

The past few days had been heartbreaking for us, both as a family and as a tribe. The hardest part for most had been Mom's funeral, but I had to deal with the stress of becoming a wolf as well.

My temper was frayed; I found myself getting upset about the slightest little thing, and every time I did I had to run from the house, or wherever I was, into the woods before I phased. I couldn't control it; it was all still too new and too overwhelming.

At least there was Leah to share the burden with me. She'd gotten mad and gone wolf herself the same day; I thought it was coincidence but then she told me it was jealousy that I'd become a wolf that tipped her over the edge. Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.

She'd imprinted on Sam, so at least she had him as a comfort to her. I hadn't imprinted on anyone, and I wasn't going to. I knew from the stories I'd been told that if a wolf was to imprint it would happen the first time they saw someone after becoming a wolf. I'd seen just about everyone from the tribe at Mom's funeral, and the earth didn't move.

The funeral... oh God, that was hard. We held that as soon after the accident as possible, in accordance with our traditions, except for one thing. We always had a viewing before the ceremony of the one who had passed, but Granddad Bill refused to allow it, and Great-Granddad Ephraim agreed with him. Daddy argued with them, but they were adamant. Mom's coffin was to be nailed shut, and _nobody_ was to be allowed to view her.

Granddad had gone into Forks to identify her, and that was that. When asked why he wouldn't let us see her he refused to give us an answer. He just said that she had left this plane and her body was just a shell now. That we should remember her how she was, and not regret losing the chance to see her one last time. I said nothing, but suspected that the accident had disfigured her in some way. As vague as my memories of that day were, I _knew_ there was a tree on top of the car.

The funeral ceremony was held in the meeting house, and she was buried near to the other loved ones we had lost. Great-Grandma Amelia, Aunty Molly and others down the years. Daddy's eyes were red, he'd cried on and off for days, and during the ceremony tears began to roll down his cheeks as he silently wept for the loss of our mother.

I sat with him, holding his hand, and Rebecca sat on his other side, doing the same. Jake sat on my other side, trying to be brave, but he was only nine. He cried too, and buried his head under my arm, so I hugged him to me.

I turned my head and looked again at Daddy. Beneath the grief he was suffering from there was also anger. He kept it well hidden but I knew him well enough to sense it. I knew it was his hatred of Carlisle Cullen and the part he'd played in this, as well as his inability to do anything about it, which was to blame for that.

Daddy was one of the wolves who wanted to go after Carlisle Cullen then and there; to forget the Treaty and just end his life for what he'd done, but the Chief was adamant, nothing would happen until the Council had made its decision.

The Chief; Ephraim Black. My great-grandfather, the Alpha of our pack, the one man nobody ever questioned. His word was law, and his word had been that it was for the Council to decide if the Cold One's life was forfeit. I turned my head in his direction; the dark circles under his eyes and the set of his jaw might be a sign that the pressure of holding the line against Daddy and the others was affecting him.

**EphraimPOV**

As I sat there, looking on as another member of my family was sent on her way to the spirit world, I knew that Rachel was watching me. And she wasn't the only one. The days since the accident had been the closest I had ever come to either standing down as Alpha, or being challenged for the position. The meeting to decide Carlisle's fate had not yet been held, but there were plenty of people here who didn't think we needed to have one.

There were only two other members of the tribe who both knew what it was that I had agreed to with Carlisle Cullen, and had been there to witness it. Hindsight was a wonderful thing, and I also knew that later generations of Quileute thought that I had been naive at best and soft-headed at worst, to ever have agreed to a Treaty with a Cold One.

But we had no knowledge then of his intentions. And I wasn't at all sure he had given much thought to what he would do here, or how long he would stay. His desire to put down roots was something unformed back then, and only took shape later on. Unfortunately for us, there _was_ a Treaty, and as long as he didn't breach it, I could do nothing about his presence here.

I thought I'd been clever; insisting on a condition that he and his family not bite a human. Forbidding drinking from them was not enough; it would prevent loss of life but not the creation of more Cold Ones. What I hadn't realized is that there are more ways for a human to be harmed by a Cold One than from just a bite.

There were also dazzling, insemination, mind control, and now a sheer accident that killed one of ours and left the immortal cause of it unharmed. I'd given the matter a lot of thought since the accident, and we needed to have our meeting, but as far as I could see I could do nothing but seethe inwardly and inform Cullen that he and his were on their last chance.

To hell with the Treaty; next time a Cullen clashed with a Quileute, I wouldn't do a thing to stop the battle that would follow, a battle that seemed inevitable. I was tired, and wanted a new life for myself. One that did not involve constantly having to protect this tribe from a nest of Cold Ones.

I sat and let the words of the celebrant wash over me, lost in my thoughts, and wishing that I could either die, or wake up to a better future.

**Some days later...**

The appointed time for the meeting arrived, and I was seated in my place at the head of the table in the Council room, waiting for our visitor to show up.

We allowed him onto the Rez, which was a source of dispute in itself. The only other times when Cold Ones had been permitted on our land was when there was an emergency. He came alone to the treaty line, as per our instructions, on time and on foot. He was met there by Bill and Four and escorted to the meeting room.

I indicated to him the place where he was to be seated, and he sat down. Then he was asked to describe, in detail, the events of that day leading up to the accident, and afterwards. He did this, slowly but thoroughly, a process that took some time.

Afterwards, he was asked to submit himself to further questions, which he did, perhaps reluctantly. It was obvious that he felt guilty, and didn't like to relive the details of what he'd done. But I had questions that needed answers, and I wasn't the only one.

Foremost in my mind was this: why hadn't he heard or seen the car? He was a supernatural being, with enhanced senses; he should have been able to prevent the accident from happening.

I put it to him. "Why didn't you know their car was coming? Why didn't you take evasive action? Something must have spooked her into skidding off the road the way she did."

He sat quietly, with his head in his hands, as the moment where we waited for his answer stretched into seconds, and then minutes. Finally, he lifted his head up, looked us all in the eye and sighing heavily, ground out his reply.

"I've been asking myself the same question since it happened and to be honest, I don't know. I'm a vampire, my senses are sharper and reflexes quicker than anyone else in this room. All I can think of is that the music and the car and my daydreaming took me to a place where I wasn't paying attention to the sights and sounds around me. That's no excuse I know, but driving comes so easily to me that I don't always concentrate on what I'm doing."

"Your neglect of your task has cost a life. Why should we tolerate that?" Levi asked combatively.

"I don't expect you to tolerate it, but I want you to know that I'm deeply sorry, and if I thought it would help I'd go speak to Billy myself."

That wasn't going to happen. "I can assure you Carlisle that going to Billy is the _last_ thing you want to do. He owns a Zippo."

Can vampires pale from shock? Carlisle seemed to blanch at that. As usual he underestimated the hatred some of us had for him and his kind. But I assured him that Billy would be told of his apology in due course.

We continued with the questions for a little longer, and when we were sure that we'd heard the whole story, retired to another room and conferred between us as to what to do. We spoke softly in the hope that he couldn't hear us, but if he did, he never let on.

It was a difficult decision to make. There wasn't one of us that didn't want to see the back of those infernal Cullens once and for all. But we also had to consider the Treaty, and be fair. Agreements were a two way process, and if we took action against the Cold Ones for no good reason we might find ourselves with a battle on our hands.

Carlisle was basically a pacifist, but Jasper Whitlock, (I never called him Hale) was not. I didn't want to take the risk of starting something I couldn't finish. When all was said and done, the accident was just that, an accident, and the consequences from it having been caused by a Cold One were no different than if a logging truck had done it.

Eventually we emerged from our closed door discussion back into the main hearing room, and gave out our verdict.

"Carlisle?" I said, taking his attention away from the spot on the floor he'd been staring at.

"Yes, Ephraim?"

"We have made our decision. We are unable to force any consequences on you as a result of this; the Treaty has not been breached. However we would ask that the members of your family, including you, remember that although you are indestructible, others are not. If something like this happens again, I won't lift a finger to prevent your family from suffering the fallout."

He stood, and inclined his head. "Thank you Ephraim."

"Don't thank me, I have to go and tell my grandson why you're not ash by now. The door's that way; don't let it hit you on the way out." I nodded to Carlisle's escorts and they accompanied him back out the door and to the spot where they'd met him.

The others all looked at me, disbelieving. That was the rudest I'd ever been to anyone in their presence, but I didn't care. My life was beginning to grate on me, and the man who'd just left the room was the reason for it.

I stood, scraped my chair back on the floor, and left the building. What I really needed right now was my wife, but she was gone these seven years. Instead I made my way to Billy's, to tell him why the revenge he sought wasn't his to take.

**RachelPOV**

When Great-Granddad stopped by after the Council meeting, that was a night I'd never forget.

Daddy was already angry. There wasn't a single thing about this whole week that didn't have him either crying or seething. When he'd been told that Dr Cullen had not been punished by the tribe for what he'd done, he raged, and threatened to take the matter into his own hands.

"You did WHAT?! You have some explaining to do, _Ephraim_. You let that bloodsucking motherfucker go free! Why does he still walk the earth? By all that's holy I'll not have it; he is ash." Daddy tried to shove past Great-Granddad, and leave the room, almost as if he couldn't stand to be in there with him.

He didn't even make it to the door, before he was grabbed by the collar and slammed into a chair; Great-Granddad was still the most powerful wolf in the tribe.

"Sit down and shut up. I know you grieve for your wife, we all do, but taking revenge and maybe starting a war is not the way to relieve your heartache. All that will do is maybe give others reasons to grieve as well. Do you want the deaths of other Quileute on your conscience?"

Bec, Jake and I looked on in horror. In all of the years we'd been part of the family, we had never seen the two of them at odds like that. We shrunk back into the corner of the room, frightened into silence, as we watched our father fight with the one person he couldn't beat.

"What I want is for that _coven_ of leeches to leave here and never return. How many times are you going to give them a free pass to do as they will in this place? You are soft; soft in the head. You let your feelings of friendship for this Cold One affect your judgment."

Great-Granddad growled, a low sound that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. "You dare to disrespect me? You accuse me of collaborating with Cold Ones?" He smashed his fist into the kitchen table. "I WILL NOT HAVE IT."

Daddy flinched, but didn't take back what he said. "Look around you. Is this what you want? The mother of my children is dead. One of them is now a wolf. Another wolf has phased. And they are both GIRLS. Is every Quileute of the bloodline now going to phase? I tell you, I won't stand by and watch it happen! Watch, as another generation is lost to this curse. Is Rebecca going to become a wolf as well? I would sooner she left this place, never to return."

"As would I. There was no way for any of us to know that would happen, but it has and there is nothing now that we can do about it. Have some faith Billy, Rachel is a Black. She will prove herself as a wolf, and maybe one day she might even be the Alpha."

"I would sooner that there was no need for any more of our tribe to become wolves, because our part of the world was free of Cold Ones. I would prefer that every member of that family of hellspawn was gone from here, forever, and if that meant killing them I'd give my life to bring it about."

"And you don't believe I want the same? What have I ever done to you to make you believe that the welfare of this tribe is not what I think about every minute of every day? It is _all_ I think about, but unlike you, and unlike others of the tribe who do not bear the responsibility for ensuring that we all are able to live our lives in peace and safety, I don't have the luxury of being able to hate."

Daddy snorted, but the fire had gone out of him. He seemed to shrink before us, like a balloon which had lost its air. We knew how much he hated the Cold Ones, it was a subject he was able to talk about at length, but we'd never before given any thought to the feelings our Great-Grandfather had about it. I was beginning to realize that leadership brought with it choices, and decisions that perhaps a person might not want to have to make.

As I sat there in the corner, thinking about what had just happened, I knew without having to ask that some of the tribe would disagree with the Council's decision. An Alpha of less power and legend would not have withstood the pressure and opposition.

He didn't advertise his struggles, but only an idiot would think there were none. More than eighty years on the planet, and sixty as Alpha, had to have had an effect. One day it would all be over, but unless the Cullens ever left he was stuck in the role he had chosen for himself all those decades ago. I didn't need to read his thoughts to know that.

Over more than sixty years Ephraim Black had steered a course that had kept us safe, even as the Cullens produced half breeds and infested Forks with their presence, and other Cold Ones had come here to attack us. That was some achievement, even if Daddy couldn't see it yet. Maybe one day he might.


	42. Chapter 42

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The legends of the Quileute belong to them. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**A/N: Yes, we're back to 2005. Thanks for waiting...**

**2005**

**EphraimPOV**

I was running with Levi and Quil, my original pack. We didn't get out together much any more, that was just the way things were these days. Quil was not on active duty much at all, he only phased about once a month. Levi was still my beta, so he kept up his phasing as much as I did, but it had taken a toll on both of us over the years.

Loping through the forest, the chill wind rushing past our bodies, we felt free. Our lives as men had been filled with love and loss. Levi's wife had passed from old age, had she lived she would be almost 90 years old now, but Quil and I had both suffered the bitterness of unexpected death, of loved ones passing before their time.

Something like that takes a toll on a person. I was never the same after Bill's mother was taken from me so cruelly, and losing my other wife to drowning hurt so much I didn't think I could go on. Quil had also been widowed in the shipwreck, and he had lost other family members too. Perhaps life would have returned to some semblance of normalcy had it not been for the car crash; but that not only took a life, it shredded forever what was left of the distant, but cordial, relationship I had tried to forge with the Cullens.

The pack had gotten still bigger; the youngest generation now included Rachel, Leah, Sam, Jared Cameron, Embry Call and Paul Lahote. Jake wasn't far off from phasing, but he hadn't yet. We tried to keep them on the Rez when they weren't patrolling, too much time around the Cold Ones wasn't advisable.

Rebecca had been spared; she was more placid than Rachel and when a surfer had come to La Push, she'd fallen in love with him and married him as soon as she was old enough. We weren't really sure why Bec hadn't phased, but maybe the girls needed more of a push. Rachel had the accident as a spur to her first phase, Leah her strong desire to be a wolf. Bec, on the other hand, was happy with her painting and a quieter life. I was happy for her; this life wasn't for everyone.

La Push and Forks were a tinderbox; I knew it was going to blow but I didn't know when, why or how. I felt the burden of trying to postpone the inevitable, and so for me these times with my oldest friends were a way to turn back the clock. We could run for hours, days sometimes; in my absence I knew Bill would take care of things like he always did. We ran all over the Peninsula, and sometimes, about once a year, we'd run to Canada as well.

We stayed in our wolf forms for the duration of our trips, and kept out of sight. We didn't want to risk being hunted, but neither did we want the bother of carrying clothing. It was the most tiresome part of being a shapeshifter; knowing that when you became human again you'd be naked. I didn't really care how I looked, but proprieties had to be observed.

My one exception to that rule was the handkerchief I carried; it had been given to me by Charlie Swan after my wife died, but it contained a scent that for some reason I found especially soothing. I carried it with me most of the time, and when I had no pocket to place it in, and no hands to carry it, I wore it in a small pouch tied around my neck.

It was a similar pouch to the one that contained the remains of the Cold One my forebears had destroyed, but those remains were now carried by Billy. They gave him some kind of strange comfort; but also helped to feed his hatred of Cold Ones.

The scent had begun to fade over time, but I preserved it as best I could. The hanky had never been washed since I'd been given it; and nobody else was allowed to handle it. I knew that some Quileute laughed about it, their silly Alpha and his lucky hanky, but I didn't care. Strangely enough my son never joined in on the raillery, but if he had any reasons for that he didn't enlighten me and I didn't ask.

We were near to La Push now; so reluctantly, after one last gambol in a meadow near the Rez, we slipped silently through the woods to the place where we had left our clothes. We resumed our human forms reluctantly, but seamlessly, and dressed in our usual jeans. I didn't bother with a shirt and neither did the others; none of the wolves ever did after phasing.

Laughing and joking, we emerged from the forest, to a small hubbub on the Rez. Nothing major, but it looked like there was a stranger there, a teenage girl. We made our way over to the group; I could see most of the newest pack there, and a few of Billy's friends, and it would have been rude to pass them by.

I heard a noise in the forest, or thought I did, and looked back in the direction from which we'd come. The other two were being introduced, and I heard the name Bella Swan mentioned. It was a bit surprising that she was here, as she hadn't been around for years. But she was Charlie's daughter, and in her late teens by now I supposed, so maybe she'd made up her own mind to come here.

After a moment, I gave my attention back to what was happening in front of me; and turned to face everyone. I glanced up at Bella, and that was that. Imprinting was still rare in the tribe. Quil had imprinted on Molly, but most of the others had met and married their sweethearts the normal way. After ninety years and two wives I thought love had passed me by, but it seemed fate had another destiny in store for me.

The ground beneath me shifted, more completely and irrevocably than I could ever have imagined. This tiny girl, still not yet fully a woman, was my life and my future, if she'd have me that is. I'd give anything for her to take me as her own. Then I smelled her scent, taking it in properly for the first time, and I recognized it immediately. It was the scent on the handkerchief that I'd taken from Charlie all those years ago, never knowing what it meant; only knowing it gave me comfort. Of course it did, it belonged to my true mate.

After a while, I didn't know how long, but long enough for some of those around me to start murmuring, I realized that I was staring at her like the love-struck fool I was. I snapped out of it, and found my manners, speaking to her for the first time, albeit clumsily.

"Bella? Is that your name? Is it short for something else?"

She looked at me quizzically, as though she was well aware of how strangely I was behaving. "No. Bella it is. My full name is Isabella, but I prefer to be called Bella."

I hadn't realized her name was Isabella. I much preferred that to Bella; Bella was so mundane. "Isabella. But that's a beautiful name."

"It's too formal. Please call me Bella."

Billy interrupted us, and I could tell he was off-balance too by how sharply he spoke. "Let's all go inside shall we?"

Like Bella, I was assessing the reactions of the people around us. Charlie was frankly puzzled, and Jake seemed upset. Why, I didn't know, unless he had feelings for her that I was unaware of. And depending on how smart the others were, and how willing to risk my wrath, they were either shocked or accepting. I even detected some signs of amusement; I sighed, that was just great.

I couldn't take my eyes off Bella the whole time we were eating lunch. I knew I shouldn't keep staring at her. I wasn't some hormonal teenage boy, but I couldn't help it. There was only my Alpha status between me and the worst teasing I'd ever endure, I was sure of it. And I risked turning Bella off by seeming to be some kind of creep. Luckily, she seemed not to mind too much.

Then an even stranger thing happened. As the afternoon wore on, I began to find Bella staring at _me. _Sometimes I saw it in my peripheral vision when my attention was diverted elsewhere, but other times when I was gazing at her, she met my gaze and looked at me with frank curiosity.

I couldn't stand it anymore; I had to go over and talk to her, whether she wanted me to or not.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

She replied as pertly, and directly, as a modern teenage girl might be expected to do. "Yes, thanks. I'm fine, but I have to ask you, is there something wrong? Why do you look at me the way you do?"

That was awkward. For once I wasn't sure what to say. "I just want to make sure you are alright."

I smiled at her and continued, "This must be overwhelming for you, so many new people?"

She replied, "Yes it is, but it's nice that Charlie has so many friends that he can count on. He's been alone for years. I will be okay once I get used to everything," she paused, "And everyone."

Wondering if that last remark was aimed at me I laughed, and then stood up. "Can I get you anything?" I asked her.

"I'd like a soda, thanks."

I went to the fridge and came back with two sodas, opened them, and handed one to Bella. I started to ask her a few more things about herself and after a while we were able to have a conversation. Over time things became less awkward, and just as we were getting along really well Charlie came over.

He smiled at Bella and said, "Time to go home, kiddo."

She nodded and replied, "Okay Dad, I'll just get my things."

I wondered why she called him Dad in front of me; I'd heard her call him Charlie before. While I was pondering that, she tried to stand up, but tripped over her feet, which she'd had tucked up under her. I shot up without thinking and caught her before she could fall, and all of a sudden this beautiful delicious smelling girl was in my arms. I hoped, rather than expected, that she hadn't noticed how quickly I moved.

I'd have liked to keep her there, and she didn't seem to mind at all, but Charlie's eyes were boring holes in the back of my head. I knew how it looked, so I reluctantly put her down. She stepped backwards, away from me, then turned to walk away. I saw her sweater near her chair, and swiftly picked it up and put it behind me; if she didn't take it I'd have an excuse to go and see her the next day. I rolled my eyes. How the mighty Alpha had fallen.

As she left she stammered, "Th-thanks Ephraim, it was nice to m-meet you."

They said goodbye to everyone and left. After they'd gone out the door heads swiveled in my direction, so before anyone could say anything I gave an order, "Council meeting. Tonight. Usual place and time. Everyone MUST be there."

Later, in the meeting room, I looked around at the Council members. They'd all turned up, so the ones that weren't there earlier must have been called by Billy or Bill. I had to admit I was too off-balance to think of it.

Levi was openly smirking, and Bill had a strange smile playing about his features. I'd seen that smile before, but I couldn't remember when. Somehow though, I had an idea he was about to enlighten me.

I called the meeting to order, and began to speak. "I have an announcement to make to the Council. I have to tell you all that I've imprinted on Bella Swan, which I'm sure will come as no surprise to those of you who were there at Billy's this afternoon."

The place erupted; it might be 2005, but Bella was as much of a hokwát as her cousin had been. I shouted above the din, ordering those present to be silent, but for once they didn't listen to me.

"You have been the Alpha for seventy years, Ephraim. This girl is not yet eighteen. What were you thinking?" snarled one Elder.

I snapped, "Did you miss the part where I said she was my _imprint_? Neither of us has any say in this; she has been chosen for me by the wolf gods. And I'd thank those of you who pointed out so _usefully_ that Bella is not from our tribe, that Quil III's late wife was also a hokwát, and also a Swan. She was a valued member of our tribe, and he mourns her still. Many of us do."

The commotion died down then, and I continued with the meeting. "Apart from informing the tribe of my imprint, I want to discuss the practical implications of it for Bella's welfare. It is up to her what role I have in her life, although for mine I wish to make her my wife..."

Levi stopped smirking for long enough to have a bit of fun at my expense. "Your wife? Aren't you going to have a bit of fun with her first? It's been long enough, and I _know_ you haven't been putting it about on the Rez."

I glared at him. His values and appetites had got us Embry, who'd been the result of a one-night stand between him and Tiffany Call. Even though Embry was a valued member of the wolf pack, that episode was still a sore point in the tribe. Because Tiffany was a Makah, and a pain in the neck as well.

"Thanks but no thanks Levi. The Quileute don't need any more wolfpack byblows, and as the Alpha I've some standards to maintain. Perhaps you haven't noticed, but the father of my imprint is the Chief of Police. Even though I've known him all his life, I'm not going to take liberties with his baby girl. So go back to your sniggering and let's get on with our business here."

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Bill's expression; and that mysterious smile of his. My curiosity got the better of me. "Spit it out Bill. Why have you been looking like that, like you know something I don't?"

He shrugged. "Let's just say Chief, that when you first took that handkerchief of Bella's, and found the smell comforting, I guessed that she might be your imprint."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" I huffed.

"Because she was a child and you were newly widowed. It would have done nobody any good for it to have happened any earlier than it did. Can you imagine Charlie Swan letting a man like you around his daughter?"

He had a point. I let it slide; we could always talk about it later. Besides, there were more important matters to discuss. I continued, "We live in a community that is full of Cold Ones. And I found out this afternoon that she's come to live with her father and is going to be attending Forks High School. We need to take steps to guarantee her safety."

There were murmurings around the room; clearly nobody else much had thought about that.

"What do you propose?" Bill asked.

"Well obviously she needs to be guarded. But she's an independent girl, she won't like it if it's too overt, and she doesn't yet know much if anything about the Cullens. I can't guard her, because everyone knows who I am and I'm not school age. But perhaps one of the young pack members could change schools for a time. Did she hit it off with any of them when she was here this afternoon?"

"I don't know about that, but she had a bit of an exchange with Paul Lahote, and gave as good as she got. And as young as he is, he's a strong fighter, maybe the best of the bunch. He's angrier than the others, and he uses that to his advantage."

I nodded. I'd been thinking that myself. Paul was safe; he'd imprinted on Rachel as soon as he'd phased. It had been funny at the time, as I'd deputized her to deal with his first phase and no sooner did she show up in the forest where he'd run to then he froze, fixed her with his dreamy look, and become putty in her hands. There ended the next Levi Uley.

"I'll speak to Paul over the weekend and also the tribal and Forks schools. Perhaps there's a course he needs to take that isn't offered here... of course I'd rather bring Bella to the La Push School but I don't think Charlie will go for that."

"No, he won't." Billy spoke for the first time.

"You're sure? If he could be persuaded..."

"We talk about the Cold Ones sometimes on our fishing trips. He doesn't see them the same way we do, the senior Cullens anyway. Of course he knows what they are, but he's been lulled into believing that apart from some issues from time to time with the children, they're basically good. I'd say he's been glamoured more than once."

"Then I'll leave it alone. Paul it is. He won't need much persuading to throw his arm around a pretty girl, even if he is taken. And we can run patrols there too. You're fishing with Charlie tomorrow aren't you - perhaps you could just ask him to warn Bella to be careful around the children."

"Have you forgotten that the older Cullens are there as teachers?"

Damn. I had forgotten that. "How many of them are teaching there at the moment?"

Billy thought for a moment. "As far as I know, Edward Cullen teaches Science subjects, Jasper Whitlock History and the like, and Emmett McCarty Gym and sport stuff. I'm not sure about the females, but I'm sure that they're there too. If you ask me their main reason for doing it is that they know as well as we do that the devil spawn can't be trusted."

"Do you think that makes Bella's situation better or worse?"

Billy's eyes flashed. "Worse, of course. There's no such thing as a good Cold One; you know how I feel about that."

In spite of what Billy said I had a slight hope that if the senior Cullens were there, the younger hybrids might be less of a problem. It wasn't much, but it was all I had.

I called the meeting to a close. After the others had filed out, Bill remained behind; there was something on his mind. He looked at me carefully, for a few moments, sizing me up before speaking. "Your pull to Bella is strong, is it?"

I sighed. "Yes it is, and I can feel the pain of my distance from her now."

"How will you deal with that?"

"The only way I can. When I can't be with her, which will be most of the time until I can make her mine, I'll be phased and in the forest near to where she is, whether that's her house or the school. If I don't do that the pain will be unbearable."

"Then she won't be alone at the school. Hopefully, she'll just be another girl there, and will slide in under the radar, but she is the Chief's daughter, and we can't take the risk that one of the Cold Ones will take an interest in her, for whatever reason. You can rely on me Dad; Levi and I will take over the running of our Pack, and leave you free to spend the time near her that you need to."

That was a relief. Because the need I had to be with her was pressing on me like a vice. I couldn't resist it for long. I'd go to see her tomorrow; but in the meantime I'd sleep in my wolf form near her house.

After I left the Council meeting I went into the forest, stripped, and phased. I wanted to be near Bella, and this was the only way I could be until tomorrow. I thought about taking some clothes with me, so I could see her in the morning without going home, but I didn't want to have to explain how I'd got there without a vehicle. Of course as my imprint she was entitled to know everything, but it wouldn't do to overwhelm her with too much information too quickly.

It didn't take me long to reach her house, which was just on the outskirts of Forks. I could sense her presence in one of the upstairs rooms, and wished for nothing more than to climb in through the window, but that wasn't me. I was content to give Bella her privacy whilst I curled up in a dark and secluded spot behind a tree as close to the house as I dared; where I stayed until morning.

I could hear her breathing, and talking in her sleep. She was dreaming, and I heard my name mentioned, but that was all. I chuffed, and fell asleep, contented and having some dreams of my own.

At daybreak I got up from my hiding place, shook my fur clear of the twigs and leaf litter caught up in it, and ran home. I decided to pay my visit to Bella during the morning, as I was fairly sure that Charlie would be out with Billy and I wanted to have a few minutes to talk to her alone.

My possessive side was warring with my public face. I wanted to be with her, to hold her, kiss her, make love to her, but I had to wait. I could only visit her for a short time, lest the neighbors notice me there and tell Charlie.

The time dragged; seconds felt like minutes, and minutes like hours, but finally I could get in the truck and drive to Forks. I grabbed the sweater that was my excuse for going to see her, and tossed it into the truck, climbing in after it and setting off.

The closer I got, the better I felt. My bond to Bella was like a rubber band that felt painful the further it had to stretch. As Forks drew closer the band became shorter, and the pain in my chest began to ease. As I finally drew up outside the Swan house, I heaved a sigh of relief.

I went to her door and knocked. As I waited, I heard her footsteps pitter pattering up the hallway. Then the door opened, and there she was; the most beautiful girl in the world. I inhaled deeply, and drank in her intoxicating scent. Then I held out the sweater to her, saying, "You left this behind."

Bella smiled, and seemed grateful for my trouble. She said "Thanks for bringing this back, Ephraim. I hope you didn't have to go out of your way; would you like to come in for a minute? I'm just having coffee."

I didn't need a second invitation. "Sure, sure. I'd love to."

Bella held the door open for me and I entered, making my way to the kitchen at the back. As we walked together, Bella slightly behind me, I noticed a slight scent of her arousal in the air. I had no idea what had brought that about, but I was curious to see what expression she had on her face so I turned around, wrinkling my nose as I did.

She looked embarrassed, so I let the moment pass without comment. Then she asked me, "How do you have your coffee?"

"Just black and no sugar will be fine thanks."

She handed me my coffee and I sat down on Charlie's chair. It was the only one that was big enough for me. I took a swig of the drink for courage and began to explain to Bella what I hadn't been able to tell her yesterday.

I began with, "So, it's a bit easier to talk here than it was yesterday out at La Push. I hope I didn't embarrass you, is there anything you'd like to know?"

Bella shot back with, "Yeah there is. What the hell happened?"

I was afraid she'd ask me more than I could tell her, and she had. "I'm sorry Bella, there are things I can and can't explain to you now. Tell me, when we met and since then, have you felt any kind of attraction to me? Maybe something that felt like a pull towards me?"

"Yes there was, I found it strange at first and still do, what would a man like you want with a girl like me?"

She was kidding wasn't she? I'd never seen a more lovely girl in my life. "You're gorgeous Bella, hasn't anyone ever told you that?"

She needed to be made to understand just how precious and special she was to me. I finished my coffee, put the cup down, walked over to her and cupped her chin with my hand.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen and ever will see. Anyone who can't see that isn't looking hard enough."

I had to go, much as I regretted it. I daren't outstay my welcome and I'd maybe said too much already. So I kissed her on her forehead and turned towards the door. "I'll let myself out, hope to see you soon, take care Bella."

I showed myself out, and as I slid back into the truck, I decided that now would be a good time to go and call on Paul Lahote. It had to be done if he was going to be my point man at the High School tomorrow.

Paul had come back to the Rez as a child with his father, but his wolf ancestry dated back to Levi's sister Ruth. Perhaps that made him feel like an outsider, perhaps he was just a true Uley. He was aggressive and in your face, as though he needed to prove himself. Around the Cold Ones that might be both an advantage and a disadvantage, but to me I needed someone who could protect Bella and take the hybrids on without a second thought. He just needed some ground rules was all.

I wasn't sure where he'd be, but to start with I went to his house. He wasn't home, but because the young pack couldn't patrol on school days, there was a chance he was doing a shift now. I took the truck back to my house, slipped out the back door and brought forth my wolf, looking to see if I could find him in the pack mind.

He was there, and I could see him running through the woods at the southern end of our patrol routes, so I spoke to him.

"_Paul, this is your Alpha speaking."_

"_Yes, sir."_

"_When are you due to complete your patrol?"_

"_In an hour sir."_

"_I need to speak to you. Please come to my house when you're finished, and DO NOT go anywhere else first. This is important."_

"_I'll be there."_

I left his mind, and my wolf behind and ducked back into my house, where I made myself some lunch and waited for him to arrive. While I was waiting, I made a couple of phone calls. One, to Mr. Greene, the Principal of Forks High School, and one to Carlisle Cullen, to inform him of the imprint, and my _desire_ for his clan not to interfere with Bella in any way.

Both calls were short, and to the point. Paul could take a course in Auto that was not available to him on the Rez, and otherwise would be with Bella for her classes. He could make up his studies from the Rez at home.

As for Carlisle, he was surprised at my imprint. I informed him that not only did I want Bella to be left alone by those of his kind, but that I would be taking steps to ensure that she was by expanding our patrolling routes. He began to object, pointing out that we were not supposed to stray onto the other side of the treaty line in our work.

My response to that was that he should have thought more of the treaty when his kind were creating baby vampires and killing one of our own. Bella's welfare was my first priority now, and I would brook no interference from them in my plans to protect her. After realizing that his arguments were in vain, and that he had bent the treaty much more than I ever had, Carlisle eventually promised to ensure that Bella would not be harassed or otherwise harmed.

It wasn't long before there was a knock on the door. I answered it, holding the door open for him and motioning towards a chair near the fireplace. He sat down, looking at me expectantly, as I sat opposite him and began to speak.

"How long have you been a wolf Paul?"

"About a year, sir. I first phased when I was fourteen."

That was just about the standard age these days, except for the wolves from double or triple bloodlines who sometimes started earlier. I continued, "I've heard you're a strong wolf and a good fighter, although we haven't patrolled together."

Paul flushed, and a sheepish expression fleetingly passed across his face. "I've always been a good fighter, sir, but it's fair to say that since I became a wolf I've had a better outlet for it."

Ah yes, a tacit acknowledgement of what everyone on the Rez knew about him; that he'd been a hothead. Imprinting on Rachel had mellowed him enough for him to be useful, but maybe having a higher cause had as well.

"Well I have a need for a wolf with good fighting abilities and the judgement not to use them until they're needed. Is that you?"

He thought for a while. It seemed like minutes passed, but it wasn't that long really. And then he stated, "Yes, sir, yes it is. I don't know what you want of me but you're the Alpha, and the Chief, and I'll do whatever you need me to do for you."

"Good," I replied. "Because I need you to leave the Rez school and go to Forks High School for a while."

"Why?" In his amazement, Paul lost his manners. I had to admit, my request did come from left field.

"You know that I imprinted on Bella Swan yesterday don't you, Paul?"

"Yes, sir. It was hard to miss," he smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "Her safety is important to me. And she is in her junior year, and will be going to Forks High School. Do I need to spell out to you what that means?"

"No sir. It means Cold Ones in her classes, and hokwát boys sniffing around her like a piece of meat because she's pretty and the new girl."

"Precisely. And I don't want her to be at the mercy of either. Your job is to go to the school, and I've made arrangements for you to be enrolled in Auto, which can't be done here. And you are to be in all of her classes as well."

"She's a junior, and I'm a freshman. I can't really be in her classes, can I? Maybe Sam would be a better choice."

"I don't want Sam, I want you. You won't have to do any work they give out, I'll get the lessons from your school here and you can catch up on your own time. You won't be running patrols, so you'll be able to keep up. I've already spoken to the Principal, and to Carlisle Cullen. Some of his family teaches there too, but I don't see that as reason to trust that no harm will come to her, in spite of the assurances he gave me."

Paul nodded sagely, "I don't blame you sir, the only good Cold One is a burnt Cold One. When all is said and done they're creatures of instinct just like us, only their instincts are to kill, not to preserve life. If I'm who you want, then I'm happy to help."

I'd been thinking about how best to arrange it. Bella might bristle at an obvious arrangement, but Paul had a kind of cheeky cockiness about him that could be charming if he used it the right way. So we talked about things for a bit longer, and arranged for him to arrive at the school early enough that he could casually walk up to her when she arrived and throw an arm around her.

We hoped she'd just think he was pushing his luck, and give him a free pass anyway. It was hard to resist him even when he was being an ass, and I'd heard that their banter the day before wasn't nasty at all. That decided, Paul left, and I was alone again with my thoughts; waiting for the sun to set so that I could run to Bella's house again.

**PaulPOV**

After I imprinted on Rachel, there wasn't anything I wouldn't do for her. So I knew where Ephraim was coming from. I couldn't imagine how it felt to imprint at his age, although granted he didn't look it. Bella was a babe, although she wasn't conceited with it, so taking care of her was no chore for me.

I called Billy to make sure that Rachel would be told about it; otherwise I'd have gone to her myself. Then I turned in early, ready for the next day and a new school. I decided to run there early in the morning, and then change in the forest. If asked I'd say I got a lift, but I was a fifteen year old six-footer, nobody was going to ask me anything.

The next morning I got up early, had breakfast and made my way to Forks along our patrol route. Everything was quiet, and I got to the school in time to phase back, change, and slip unnoticed into the carpark.

Glancing around me, I could see the vampire scum, their eerie eyes glowing in the early morning light. I shivered; even as a wolf they creeped me out. Their noses crinkled as I passed them by, so I fixed them with a glare and flared my nostrils in reply. I wasn't the only one who stank.

Charlie's cruiser could be heard making its way up the street and into the car park. Once Bella had got out, and Charlie had gone, I sauntered into the path she'd be taking to get to the front doors, wrapping my arm around her and saying, "Bella! So good to see you here, I think I'm in some of your classes. Why don't we walk there together?"

She didn't object. I'd seen her make eye contact with the Cullen kids and they seemed to have had the same effect on her that they'd had on me. They creeped her out too. Safe in the security of my embrace, she walked into the school for the first time.


End file.
